blonde poker forum

Seems like a good time to start this thread.

Who's in, who's out, who's trading up, how will Washington make their team worse, who is getting Mariota, where will Winston be drafted, who will be under center in Buffalo, how do Seattle come back from that pass with no money...?

While you're thinking, have a gif:

(http://imgsrv.wgr550.com/image/wgr2/UserFiles/Image/BillGoneHam.gif)

From what I read Tampa are swaying towards taking Winston number 1. It really is a case of what you like a more NFL pro ready QB with more natural skills, who is a real problem off the field or a QB from an extremely wide open college system who is intelligent and a really nice chap.

how many days till we start playing again?

194

http://www.tickcounter.com/countdown/20150903083000pm/w5270/1/NFL_SEASON_KICKOFF_20

 ;D

Very impressive pudding tekkers there. It reminded me of that video of Derek Pringle eating bogeys at the cricket.

http://mmqb.si.com/2015/02/23/tampa-bay-buccaneers-jameis-winston-peter-king-nfl-combine-draft/

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-iUGmFCMAAF4Vg.jpg)

the combine has been a fun watch

looking forward to the draft betting markets!

radical changes in the Browns helmet design for 2015 onwards

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-nviUgUAAExnfT.png)

So if you are Julius Thomas do you do the following:

A. Take the money and go play for the Jags
B. Take the money and go play for the Falcons.
C. Take less money than you have been offered, fire your agent who is very good at getting his players traded, and actually play for a Superbowl calibre team in the Broncos?

My money's on B, by the by.

I really hope A. Think he'd be great there. Could be a fun team to watch in the next couple of years. I know we say that every year!

Hoping Mike Brown has a funny turn and spends a bit of cash on free agency to get the juices flowing before the draft..

I doubt it. Who'd you rather have throwing the football to you - Matt Ryan or Blake Bortles? ;)

what do people think the bears will do with Cutler and his contract

He will deffo be there next season, he is guaranteed so much money on his contract that they are going to have real trouble doing anything but hoping he improves on last year and that a new head coach can get more out of him.

So today I see the Eagles have signed a line backer, on a 2 year deal. Will that insure he won't get cut during training camp ? If he does get cut will Eagles honour his contract this all confuses me.

WOWWWWW,  HUGE TRADE

FKIN love Free agency and Trades.

Sigh, goodbye Shady, hello Kiko.

WTF? :(

Wow. Something has gone on here with McCoy either there is a falling out behind the scenes or the Eagles think he is regressing. Runnings backs do wear pretty quickly in the NFL and are replaceable but I must admit I thought shady was slightly above this and did things others rbs couldn't.

Obviously chip knows kiko and he has been pretty damn good for buffalo.

After reading around most people seem to like the Eagles side of this. It frees up s lot of cap space for Philly being one of the main plus point for them.

Interesting.

LB Kiko Alonso (BUF) for RB LeSean McCoy (PHI)

Mixed feelings about this one, but I suppose that means it's a fair trade. Alonso out all of last season with a torn ACL, but third the year before - his rookie season - in tackles across the whole NFL (2.5 times more tackles than any Eagle last year).

However, we're in a division with one Brady and two non-existent QBs, with no superstar running backs. We have strength on the inside of our defense (interesting to see whether we re-sign Jerry Hughes now) and an explosive running back will make a big difference.

Of course, $825k this season for Alonso or $10m for McCoy is also relevant! We need to build for 3 seasons' time when Brady retires to try to win that division.

The Eagles reportedly rang the Bills with the offer. The Bills rang back and accepted...20 minutes later!

Amazing stuff, really. Chip Kelly trading up for Mariota now, then, to get all his Ducks in a row?

Wow

Eagles got rid of 3 of their top 4 salary cap hits for 2015 yesterday. Cleared $20M+ in cap space.

McCoy wasn't the apple of chips eye anyweay, declingin ypc and went away from him at the end of last season

they will go to spend big in free agency (byron maxwell?) to sort the secondary out then presumably trade a couple of years of drafts away to get Mariota

exciting big stuff.

for the Bills, really nice defense, but how do they get over 8-8/9-7 until they get a QB?

We don't. We need to find a nugget from somewhere in the next couple of years or bring in a competent free agent in the next year or two to do a job. For example, Brees the year after his $17m salary year would take $30m out of the Saints' salary cap. Maybe that's an extreme case, but it will be an interesting division once Brady retires.

The Saints are already looking to draft a QB. Brees simply too expensive and slightly on the decline

I reckon there are 9 teams who would love to upgrade their QB this offseason, only 2 in the draft worth picking high and not a lot in free agency

For the bills, the rest of the team is very competitive which means they won't be picking top 10 any time soon but because they are in QB hell they are a bit stuck getting over the hump and into the play offs, even if as a wild card

a shame because they spent 2 number 1s on Watkins and can't maximise him either

whats the word? Hoyer or someone like that for a season?

That is the problem for 20+ teams in the league.  When was the last time a team won a superbowl with an average/rubbish QB?  Rarely happens,just shows how lucky New england have been all these years.  Take the bengals,probably as solid in every department as any team but as long as Andy Dalton is the QB you may as well throw in the towel once the regular season is over, too many mistakes over and over again, avoidable ones.  The texans looked on the brink a few years ago but they had another liability in Matt Schaub.  

correct

there aren't 32 starting quality QBs capable of winning in the league, let along 32+backups

for a cincinnati, houston, buffalo etc the rest of the rosters are good but they can't draft high enoguh to draft a franchise QB

2016 may see 5 or 6 of them, so maybe a chance then but in the absence of a year like that a lot of sides are in QB purgatory

this is part of the reason why i think the eagles may give away two ones, two twos and foles (cf the RG3 trade) and ring the jets up if mariota is still there at pick six this year

Another problem you can face is the fact you can get one of these so called elite QBs in the draft but it isn't  a banker they are going to be a success, you just don't know.  You have to be very fortunate to get hold of a brady,rodgers type QB.  The colts are lucky having Manning all them years and replacing him with Andrew Luck who 99% of people knew he had what it takes.

I can't help but think the Bills fans would just be grateful for the playoffs. Wilson at pick 75 shows there is talent available in some seasons (not this one, perhaps). Once you're on an upward curve (and it's been a long time since we have been able to say that), the prospect becomes more attractive.

If we end 2015/6 with everything but a QB, we will be in great shape! Jets will be Jets and Miami's skill position woes won't change in the next few years. It seems to me to be a year to get used to the Ryan/Roman system and then a year to gamble.

All eagles fans in here?

< Packers.

Nope. Bills.

They are getting there, lot of playmakers on Defence, so Kevin Cadle isn't the only Bills fan.

Cowboys

Eagles
Bills
Seahawks
Giants
Raiders
Bengals
Dolphins
Chargers
Bears

all repped on this board and thats just those i remember

And Meat Loaf.

oh well, two out of three ain't bad

(https://fiatme.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/croatiavspain-groupc-uefaeuro2012.jpeg)

Any of you guys baffled by the Lions last season? They go from being an ill disciplined offensive powerhouse team who were losing shoot-out type game, to a team with lack of punch,yet the defence improved massively to past seasons.  I kind of see why they weren't conceding as many pts, when you had as many defensive flags thrown as they did you are bound to improve in that area.  They finally find a defence and lose a potent offence in the space of a season.

Schwartz goes, discipline improves (always thought he set a bad example)

Stafford not accurate, frustrating player

Megatron injured. Tate very good but much better if Megatron fit

Running game very inconsistent

put the offense together and it lacked a philosophy

--

defense lots of high drafted talent, all came together under Caldwell.

Now Suh hits free agency, so it all might be different again next season

but insinctively that means you have to beat the Packers again to win the division, and that defense got close. sort the offensive system out and they will go close

I had a saver on this lot last season as I knew the defence was improving from the previous season. Megatron injuries didn't help.  Reggie bush departure will help, never really got going. As a packers fan I think we will have a soft division again.

you don't think the Vikes might press this year? (maybe not to win the division but winning record/chance of play offs)

Bridgewater was really good, going to draft a receiver high.

lots of talent on the team, terribly coached for years. finally got good coaches, going to carry on turning round quickly imo

not even considering AP back in, which would really open the offense up for bridgewater as teams will stuff the run, or try to

 

Stating the obvious but all depends on number 28, i do see them as the 2nd placed team behind the packers.  The Bears look a mess but the same was said about Dallas last season and they win the division.

I will be disappointed if the Packers don't make the superbowl,I still wake up in the middle of the night thinking the Seattle game was all a bad nightmare.  With a weak division we should be looking at 12-4 at worst.

i still wake up about the dez bryant catch at lambeau

the lions still wake up about losing in dallas

those nfc play offs this year were crazy, then came the end of the superbowl!......

This is what makes this game such intense viewing, you rarely get so much late drama in sports like football and rugby,of course it happens in these sports but it happens week in week out in the nfl.  You van have two teams over 16 weeks who look head and shoulders above the rest but in a knock out format no result ever surprises me.

The three incidents you have pointed out prove that.  On a gambling front I never get involved in these sports pre-game, for the reasons you have just mentioned.

Flags are killing the game but from a drama point of view these incidents are making people talk about the game even more, or was that what the commissioner wants :)

Bills got their QB picking up Matt Cassel fro the Vikings

Former Pro Bowler who has proved a good mentor for a young QB. Also $750k cheaper than Orton would have been.

Smells like another piece of good business to me.

Two undisclosed draft picks to the Vikings in exchange, perhaps reinforcing Tighty's point.

5th round pick this year and 7th round pick next year.

It's still $4.75m (his cap charge) for essentially a non-starting/back up QB though, which shows how desperate the Bills are

the plan is to hand it to McCoy, not make many mistakes if you have to throw it, play lights out D and get to a point where Manuel is ready

Cassel is cheaper than trading for Sam Bradford, probably better than Hoyer so best of a bad job i suppose

"Matt Cassel really is the American Dream story though. He's turned 33 total college attempts into $70mil in career NFL earnings... "

!!

Plus he's used to a playbook where the first 40 pages are "Hand the ball off to LeSean McCoy". Just replace McCoy with Peterson.

I'm imagining here - a defense with Khalil Mack, DJ Hayden, Charles Woodson, Ndamukong Suh and Terrance Knighton. Add in Justin Tuck...as a Raiders fan things could start to look up soon...

Peyton Manning reportedly "irked" at the request for him to take a pay cut.

After the last 24 hours, I'm expecting a Rex Ryan press conference.

Gutted Mike Zimmer left the Bengals looks like he's building a Vikings team through the draft after reading snippets on here.Watching all the film on Mike over the years think the Vikings will draft best available rather than need so will be an exciting time imo for Viking fans over the next few years.

Guess he's not from the Tom Brady school of thought...

Could be exciting times for Eagles fans. Former cornerback devin McCourtney who now plays safety could well make the move,plenty of salary cap to play with. Belichick was keen on McCourtney right from the off as he was the only shining light on that secondary once the superbowl winning defence was torn apart.  It would be a much needed signinh for the Eagles,they haven't had a decent safety since Dawkins,come to think of it the secondary has been rubbish for many years.

Looks like kelly is going for morita unless everyone is missing something. Would be intresting to see if he will start season with him. With all that salary cap going spare  will be intresting to see where he goes with it

Isn't My Miyagi a bit old for NFL ;)

I dont know your miyagi you tell me is he to old

Everyone's Miyagi...

He's that old, he passed away in 2005 :/

I like Mariota, even though he won the Heisman a year late for most of us.

I'm really hoping he is a massive success, and that Winston is just serviceable.

No other reason than to shut Skip Bayless up!

Brandon Marshall traded to the Jets for a 5th

He's 30 and is $7m, $8m and $8m gtd for the next three seasons

this is the third time he has been traded. which is fun, clearly a pain in the arse, but a talented pain in the arse

--

Suh is headed to the Dolphins, apparently...at $17m per and $60m gtd

--

Cobb is off somewhere, maybe the Raiders or Jags who haven't won in years and are $60m unspent on a $145m cap

not sure i would be too thrileld about supporting a 3-5 win team that doesn't spend its cap

--

byron maxwell is indicating interest in going to the eagles if they want him

--


free agency starts next week......lots and lots of unspent cap around, going to be some big headline deals

Heard this today also,maxwell and McCourtney perhaps.  Miami defence just got a little tasty.

hearing the bears might be in for andre johnson after trading marshall

the eagles offseason plan

:-0)

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B_SKcO_XAAAkDWM.jpg:large)

You are in charge of the Chicago Bears. You have had a 'mare of a season, grumpy fans and a new head coach. Your WR2 is off to New York. You are in a division with elite players and pass-friendly teams, but whose ageing greats might make them vulnerable if you can develop your roster.

You have a quarterback who, in a week's time, will have $10M guaranteed for 2016. He's had a mixed season. Again. It's a seller's market this season, with half a dozen teams interested if a player of his calibre becomes available. That might not be the case in a year's time and another expensive season could leave you with damaged stock.

Do you trade?

yes, id pick up hoyer and trade out cutler. with both cutler and marshall gone there will be decent cap space and and strong draft position means room to grow. need to except the bears are favs to finish 3/4 this season.

Who would want Cutler?

The way I understand the rules over contracts, as Cutler is guaranteed his money, if the Bears want to trade him they need to find someone who will pay his contract.

I can't imagine anyone doing that unless they throw in their first round pick.

What a mess the Bears are in and another awful season likely in 2015.  A franchise that prides itself on a hard hitting defence and this has been their weakness for the last 3 seasons at least.  Two seasons ago the holes in the defence were being covered up by the ridiculous amount of defensive touchdowns and turnovers, not sure what the numbers were but I don't recall a team have so many.  Dead last in the nfc north this season.

It was only 5 months ago Michael Irving was crowning Jay Cutler the MVP of 2014/2015 before he even took a snap.  He can get away with this type of comment as he apparently has 3 superbowl rings :)

Ndamakong Suh going to the Dolphins for a pittance $114m, with $60m guaranteed. That's a gamble.

Jets RB Chris Johnson has been shot in the arm. Seems to be ok, mercifully.

Bills have reportedly agreed deals with McCoy and our DE, Jerry Hughes.

Jon Ryan getting into the spirit with this tweet:

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B_b9RmwWIAAZffe.jpg)

60 million is 2/5ths of there total salary budget is a DT really worth that much

No, that's over four years, I think.

Iron, your boys have agreed a deal with Frank Gore (49ers rhinoceros-in-chief).

i wouldnt trade maccoy for gore in fantasy seems a down grade to me hope we save alot of money on the cap with that

I'm sure it's saving money. $7.5m guaranteed in the first two years is definitely less than you'd have paid Shady. Gore is 32 but suits the style of offense. He's going to get plenty of work in that no-huddle offense!

perfect

want to see where they put the money saved on the 3 big hitter they released

Jacksonville nearly there with the Julius Thomas deal and are pushing Dallas to try to get Demarco Murray.

Hard to see them finishing above the Colts, but this is a team with two elite weapons and $40m still to play with. Need more to challenge with the big boys, but green shoots and all that.

The London games look better, suddenly, too.

What I don't understand is why a player like Julius Thomas would even consider leaving a Championship calibre team for a bunch of no hopers just because they'll pay him 10% more money.

When his career is over will he get any satisfaction from looking at his bank statements for the 2015/16 seasons when he earned $11 million instead of the pittance Denver would pay him?

Or would he prefer to be wearing a ring?

Baffling.

Greedy ****s

Sanchez supposedly back to Eagles on a 2yr deal.

If they're trading up for Mariota, has Foles' arm dropped off.

Byron Maxwell, 5 year ~$54m contract with ~$25m guaranteed.

They'll get Mariota imo and trade Foles along the way.

Kelly isn't messing about :D

I still wouldn't rule out Foles to Tennessee as part of a trade for the number 2 pick. Looks a good spot for both teams to me. Philly get Mariota with pick 2 and don't have to give up as many draft picks if they include Foles. Tennessee can get a selection of draft picks and another QB to battle Mettenberger for their starting job. (obv that assumes Tennessee like Foles and don't do anything daft like make a play for Cutler in the next day or so)

Looks like Maclin might sign for Kansas now unless that's one last attempt to get more money from Philly.

I thought Foles was pretty decent, but I guess chip wants his boy on the firm.

I saw them talking about it on ESPN, and they said that it looks like Philly are giving him free reign, and he'll be gone if it doesn't work out quite quickly.

I will be playing for a different organization, but I will remain committed to the City of Baltimore. I will continue to give back and help build a better future for our young men and women. MY COMMITMENT TO THE CITY IS FOR LIFE.

This isn’t a goodbye because I will still be around and Baltimore will continue to be my home in the offseason and when my career is done. I’m on to the next chapter of my life and football career, but I will see you guys later.

To the Baltimore Ravens Organization, good luck! Thank you, Baltimore! Love!

    - Torrey Smith


49ers rumoured to be favourite. Why would any wide receiver choose to go there?

all about the money

he has one sizeable contract left in the NFL, going to go to the best offer

same for Demarco and Julius in Jacksonville, only thats even more about the money as they are further away from being in contention

Suh's reported contract puts him in historic territory. Only 4 QBs averaging more but none with as much $ guaranteed.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B_l7PUeUIAA71WB.png:large)

you can also see from the image what a millstone the Ctler contract is

Frank Gore might have decided he doesn't fancy going to Philly now according to Rotoworld.

It's getting a pantomimeish in Philly if that is true.

Crabtree is a superb athlete with great hands, Boldin is immense, what a player he has been.  What more could you ask for yet they still don't get the most out of this kind of talent.

Pretty huge news if it comes off.


@JayGlazer 1m1 minute ago

The Saints and Seahawks are trying to finalize trade Jimmy Graham and a 4th rounder for Max Unger and Seattle first rounder

Haloti Ngata being traded to the Lions

Sicccccckkkkkkkkkkk

Gutted he's off there, but loving this offseason.

^^ about Jimmy they is

i think they might try and turn picks 13 and 31 into a top 5 pick and grab a QB

they met with Winston at the combine

they wanted to get a QB last year, Brees is on the downslide and paid a fortune

got to have something in place for the succession


Seattle...Wilson, Lynch, Graham on offense....get them a quick WR and put a multi threat offense with the best defense in the leeague and gg

"Rams close to trading QB Sam Bradford to Philadelphia for Nick Foles & draft-pick compensation, per sources"


lol, its all happening!

Vereen to Giants today was one of the top trades so far for me.

Obviously Graham to Hawks is a massive trade, one that i'm sad to see as someone who absolutely despises the Seahawks.

Perhaps they won't be trading up for Mariota after-all..

I don't like this much at all, Saints made a mess of Graham's deal and Seattle  let Maxwell walk to save money and seemingly using it for a TE when they should have won back to back SB with what they had at TE. Got bloody Cary Williams and Tharod Simon  to play CB opposite Sherman next year and Jeremy Lane likely to start the season on PUP.

Seattle's stats with Unger playing were better too. Would have much rather kept Unger and tried to keep Maxwell than take Graham and his contract. If they had mugged Saints for Graham coz they are in a mess cap wise then would have been ok.

It could be worse tho, I mean wtf are Philly doing?

"This makes sense now. Eagles get a #2 Draft pick with the trade. Will trade Bradford, 2 2nd's, a 1, and probably more to move up and get Mariota."

"I am retiring from football after much reflection and discussion with my family. I will always be grateful for having had the opportunity to realize my childhood dream of playing in the NFL and for the lifelong relationships I developed because of that experience. Football has always played a pivotal role in my life and I love the game, but I no longer have the burning desire necessary to play the game for a living; to continue to do so would be unfair to the next organization with whom I would eventually sign. I realize this decision is surprising to many, but I know in my heart that it is the right decision and I look forward to spending more time with my family and pursuing other interests."

       - Jake Locker

Enjoying free agency frenzy on nfl now.Cant believe the Ravens didn't come anywhere near paying Ngata in the run heavy afc north.

because they have Jernigan and Williams, young DT Studs?

its the way Ozzie newsome does it, drafts extremely well and doesn't tend to overpay for second contracts..collects the compensatory picks and drafts again

tends to work well for them, especially on defense

Torrey Smith confirmed 49ers. 5 yrs, $40m.

LOL at Denver replacing Julius Thomas with Owen Daniels!

Bills sign FB Jerome Felton from the Vikes.

Owen Daniels is the latest mediocre player to  be made to look brilliant by playing in Denver.

Reggie Bush to New England/back to the Saints/49ers

Looks like it free's up a lot of cap space and the Ravens need to sort out the secondary.Brutal schedule for the afc north this season definately won't be 3 playoff teams this year.Where do you think Murray ends up Tighty?

Seriously?!

NFL ‏@nfl  45s45 seconds ago
"DeMarco Murray is now receiving interest from the Philadelphia @Eagles." - @RapSheet

mike freeman ‏@mikefreemanNFL 38m38 minutes ago

I texted a 49ers scout about Jimmy Graham trade and he sent me back one word: "F--k."




lolol

Genius.

Eagles, Jags, Raiders

Eagles interest apparently came today, which would be a bit of an "ouch" one but thats free agency

we were never paying him what he wanted, and he understandably wants to get paid

we are apparently, cough, sigh, interested in C J Spiller and (the probably under-rated) Roy Helu

the draft has about 15 viable RB options in rounds 1-3 too

Wow. Interesting night.

Gore to the Colts.
Revis to the Jets.
Helu to the Raiders.
Vereen to the Giants.

What'll happen today?! rotflmfao

Tommy Felice ‏@TbonePoker

I'm convinced Chip Kelly is that guy in your fantasy league who constantly sends trades to everyone

Does he have a range rover he likes to lean out of?

God @TheTweetOfGod  ·  18h 18 hours ago

I'm omniscient but even I don't know what the Philadelphia Eagles are doing.

Clint Boling re-signs for the bengals,terribly boring news for everybody else but me I'm chuffed to fck.Just hoping that Michael Johnson signs after a poor showing in Tampa.

Eagles starting RB…

1 month ago: LeSean McCoy

1 week ago: Frank Gore

1 day ago: Ryan Mathews

1 hour ago: DeMarco Murray


going to be a fun season watching the Eagles :-)

Would be funny to see Skip Bayless' face if that happened :D

he's a fan on the telly. good shock tv but in small doses!

i think dallas is being very cute with a spending limit on a 27yo rb who ran it 400 times last season and has only played 2 full seasons in 4, but it certainly stings to lose him to the same division, especially as the philly OL is in the same sphere as the brilliant dallas OL

Things I expected this off-season:

None of the above
None of the following:
Bradford in
Foles out
Sanchez staying on
Shady leaving
Maclin leaving
Er, pretty much everything else the Eagles have done

Fun times!

5 years and $42m with $21 guaranteed is the deal for demarco

can't criticise him for taking it, and i can't criticise the cowboys for not paying it

go and draft one of the young backs in april, there are many


i thought one of the reasons mccoy went was the salary cap impact of having that money tied up at rb. this rather suggests that wasn't the reason. not sure what went off there, over and above his poor-ish season last year

I only watch bits and bobs, but they're like a comic double act.

I don't take them seriously since you said as much about them :D

i am in shock first season i have really tried to follow the deals and i am total shock more ins and outs than southampton last season is bradford and upgrade on foles? sure looks like kelly thinks that having given away some draft picks

i'm not sure anyone really understands what kelly's end game is

now there are reports they are tryintg to trade away evan mathis the all pro guard? why would you do that when you have just signed a back who got 1800 yards last year? surely he only does that with a really good OL, so why get rid of mathis?

one thing is for sure, this is very unusual!

Jeremy Fowler ‏@JFowlerESPN 3m3 minutes ago

Source w/ knowledge of situation: #Saints appear to be shopping everyone but Drew Brees and Brandin Cooks. Complete retool.

Not surprised about that. Have you seen their salary budget?!

Perfect division to break it up and start again, too. Five in, five out and they could be in the playoffs with a winning record.

murray now a done deal

3 RBs front line next season mathews murray and sproules think someone is going to end up unhappy

Will Brinson        ✔ @WillBrinson

Eagles starting RB…
1 month ago: LeSean McCoy
1 week ago: Frank Gore
1 day ago: Ryan Mathews
1 hour ago: DeMarco Murray

4:30 PM - 12 Mar 2015

Whoops. Sorry!

Mind you, probably reassuring that it's the same list a whole four hours later

my list was Mr Brinson's, my fault

just made me smile and i popped it up


never known an offseason like it

How long till the pre season games?

late july, all of august

the draft at end april will be a lot of fun

then mini camps from june

Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet 1m1 minute ago

The #Dolphins are trading for WR Kenny Stills, giving back to the #Saints Dannell Ellerbe and a third round pick, source said.


complete rebuild for the saints who now have five draft picks in the first three rounds of the upcoming draft

Tannehill has a nice weapon too

The Saints have signed C.J. Spiller per @AdamSchefter


i can't keep up

Are you a budding NFL quarterback? Want to join a team that needs one? Then welcome to Tennessee, in the AFC South where there's barely anything to worry about.

Hang on...

Watt and Clowney are being joined in Texas by Vince Wilfork?

(http://reactiongif.org/wp-content/uploads/GIF/2014/08/GIF-frightened-Home-Alone-oh-no-OMG-run-away-scared-GIF.gif)

$9mill over 2 years for the wrecking ball.  All they need now is a quarterback like the other 20+ teams if they even want a sniff at a superbowl.

You have to win your division first. They're building a team the right way to do that: a solid run-first offence and an elite front seven/pass rush.

Cecil Shorts is less exciting :D

The Colts have it good in the south division, two weak teams, elite qb in place and a gimme to make the playoffs.

Bills fan??  Play-offs next season?

Colts a huge lock to win that division, but the division looks better than it did last year.

As for the Bills, we simply HAVE to be looking at 9 wins and hoping the AFC improves enough to convert that into the playoffs. Getting a good fullback looks like a great move.

Would have loved us to keep Searsy, mind.

I hear what you are saying about the texans building a team but do you not think you only have a small window to win the big prize or consistently challenge?   With this huge bias in favour of receivers(flags thrown) these days it is becoming more of a passing league which in my opinion shortens the time these teams have of building if you don't have a Tom Brady in place.

Buffalo fans should be excited next season,lot going for them.

Damn, I will just miss the draft in states this year, fly back the day it starts.
Coverage sooo good in the states!!!!!! ( extra !!! just for Teeks)

Odds to Win Super Bowl 50 at Bovada as of March 15 [OddsShark NFL Futures]

Seattle Seahawks 6/1
Green Bay Packers 7/1
New England Patriots 7/1
Indianapolis Colts 8/1
Denver Broncos 12/1
Dallas Cowboys 16/1
Philadelphia Eagles 18/1
Pittsburgh Steelers 20/1
Arizona Cardinals 25/1
Baltimore Ravens 25/1
New York Giants 25/1
Cincinnati Bengals 33/1
Detroit Lions 33/1
Miami Dolphins 33/1
New Orleans Saints 33/1
San Francisco 49ers 33/1
Atlanta Falcons 40/1
Buffalo Bills 40/1
Carolina Panthers 40/1
Kansas City Chiefs 40/1
San Diego Chargers 40/1
St. Louis Rams 40/1
Chicago Bears 50/1
Houston Texans 50/1
Minnesota Vikings 50/1
New York Jets 50/1
Cleveland Browns 75/1
Oakland Raiders 75/1
Washington Redskins 100/1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 150/1
Jacksonville Jaguars 200/1
Tennessee Titans 200/1

Titans at 200/1 must be the worst bet of the year in any sport (arbboy, Larry, back off!).

Who's your bet from this? In value terms, I mean.

good question

purely for value (ie not patriots, seahawks etc) and a turn-around sweat the Giants at 25-1

Odell Beckham is a monster, Cruz coming back, draft a bit of offensive line, some younger defense and away we go

a more conventional view: cardinals at 25-1 if Palmer stays fit and they actually can complete a pass past week 10 of the season. nasty defense, going to get a top running back one way or another

no-one is in that horrific book! 

http://www.oddschecker.com/american-football/nfl/super-bowl/winner

I was happy when my Raiders got rid of Darren McFadden and MJD last week.

Not sure that Trent Richardson is the right replacement though...but cheap enough for it to be worth a risk.

Dmac is going to be a back up back for us. blocks well, good speed. got to get rid of the injury bug and recover some confidence but at least he is going to have a really good OL to be bhind, witten to block, defense focussing on Dez

$200k gtd if we have to cut him, complete bargain..a shot to nothing

McFadden definitely is a good buy for you, gotta admit. With the right D he can still do it...problem is Raiders not the right fit yet. Maybe in 2-3 years...

I was just more surprised we went for T-Rich!

I quite like the look of Miami this year. Think they've been reasonably savvy and are in a division that should offer chances. Their defence was excellent last year, they have a competent quarterback and aren't reliant on playing at home. They also know the Pats well and wouldn't be fazed by playing week 2 of the playoffs in Foxboro.

If Cincy can keep their defense fit, I am convinced they'll win the AFC North. If - and here's the second big if - they were to win the  wildcard game, the football world would be rooting for them; Dalton winning post-week 17 would be national news and everyone would want him to go on. The team would be flying and momentum in these matters cannot be underestimated. 33/1 could be fun.

Deliberately choosing AFC teams, here. I want to pick a team capable of getting to the superbowl without undertaking the seven labours of Hercules that is the NFC!

Tal you can back the bengals at 40/1 which is pretty good value imo.4 draft picks in the first 3 rounds and Eifert,Jones,Wright and Smith back on the offense.If Burfict returns and the draft policy is best available then we,ll start as a 25/1 shot.

Anyone like Rams at 40/1?

would love it with

a) a franchise quarterback (but then they wouldn't be 40-1)
b) a running back

b is easily fixable, the draft has 15 potential starters in it

for a..is nick foles going to take you past seattle's defense, and arizona's and win you that division?

the defense has immense talent.

Bills to sign Charles Clay on a monster contract.

Per Bleacher Report:

"Clay struggled through knee and hamstring injuries in 2014 yet still finished with 68 receptions for 605 yards over 14 games. The Bills tight ends barely combined to eclipse Clay’s production, totaling 657 yards. Scott Chandler, who's since been released, fell far below (497 yards)."

He's a versatile TE who will be able to support the run and deliver useful short routes for Manuel/Cassel. The risk is obviously the price, but this could turn out to be just what we need.

McCoy
Jackson
Harvin
Watkins
Woods
Clay

That's as good an offense as the Bills have had for some time. We should be able to draft some depth in the bulk positions and I'm getting that horrible confidence I get at the start of every premier league season...

got to say Rex has given it a good shot

of course you can say Clay is a massive overpay (but so are lots of free agent contracts), and of course QB is still a huge ?mark but it looks a lot more exciting in the skill positions than it did, to go with that really good defense

The 49ers schedule for the upcoming season looks brutal.If they can go 9-7 or better that would be a great achievement imo.Shame I haven't got the funds to lay them for the Super Bowl should be min 66-1 currently at 40's.

an incredible story

a long shot of course, but wow

http://www.nfluk.com/news/uknews/article-1/Abandoned-in-London-now-living-Dallas-dream/0af914f9-0f42-46d8-a843-9afcc491d266

(http://prod.images.nfluk.clubs.nflcdn.com/image-web/NFL/CDA/data/deployed/prod/NFLUK/assets/images/imported/NFLUK/photos/clubimages/2015/04-April/tempNFL_EFEOBADA_17031512--nfl_mezz_1280_1024.JPG?width=960&height=720)

Our very own Michael Oher!

Be incred if he makes it.

The Denver Broncos will not make the playoffs this year.

Discuss.

someone agrees with you

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000483160/article/five-teams-that-wont-return-to-the-playoffs?campaign=Twitter_atn

Ha! Yes, that's where I saw it.

Quite a claim. Lions, I agree with. Dallas, I can understand, because it's a bonkers division. But Denver?!

well if its the Manning of 20014 H2 then you can understand it, plus new coaching

lots of free agency losses too

tough old division too KC and SD competitive.


At least four new teams have made the playoffs every year since 1990, so there are certainly turnround stories to spot and for every turnround there are going to be teams sliding

its cyclical, depending on draft position, free agency, release of players etc etc

Surely there's no chance Manning stays if he isn't making the playoffs?

He must believe they're still likely to get there, even after losing the likes of Julius.

The author of the article has them finishing below the Bills.

well you'd think so, but equally you have to agree there are more uncertainties this year compared to the last few

the team is just on the cusp of going from "sure thing to win the division" to some question marks

it happens to all teams. except the Patriots. (until tom retires and someone in the afc east actually improves)

Their home field advantage is massive to their longevity, too. Like Green Bay, they're helped by a great QB, but they get a seven point start every other week, where most teams only get three.

I expect them to drop off when Manning retires, they won't be as attractive to the mediocre WRs anymore and they'll struggle to find a QB in the draft (too high) or through Free Agency.

They blew it against Seattle (Yes, Seattle's Defense was otherworldly that night, but O v D should have been a much squarer fight) and that will be the day that wakes fans up still in their sleep when they're third in the division in 2018.

The Browns are reportedly considering trading both their first round picks (12 and 19) for Mariota.

Is this paper talk or did the Browns hire Mike Ditka in the last few weeks?

would say it has to be a possibility

if we say that Wnston goes 1, if i was tennessee i would take mariota 2

but they might not

so jax at 3 don't need a Qb, Oakland at 4 don't need one

so 12+19 could equal washington at 5....


you need a QB to stand a chance in the league (unless you have a great defnse and a brilliant running game), browns failed with manziel and there are so few in this draft and the browns have the ammo.

i have also heard chicago (cutler+7 for number 2 with tennessee), have heard san diego (rivers +17 for 2 with tennessee)


draft is three weeks tonight, always a fun night the first round 

It's a poor year to be trading for a QB though, surely? Plenty of edge rushers and running backs available. Just build your roster when you have so many gaps and you are more competitive in a relatively winnable division.

how often do teams make play offs without a top-half of the league quarterback?

last year....

Arizona couldn't...rest of their roster is play off calibre

St Louis couldn't...one of the best young defenses in the league

etc etc

(playing devils advocate)

Two first round picks wisely spent might be enough to win that division. They almost did it with Hoyer last year. Is this lad worth such a gamble? Is he a top half QB, having come from what I understand is an unusual formation system in Oregon?

Mariota wouldn't be relishing playing for Tennessee either, I don't suppose.

New York Jets seems most likely to me.

well these are the questions

if the QBs on your roster are

00   MCCOWN, JOSH CC/TB
2    Manziel, Johnny 14/1    
00   Lewis, Thaddeus SF15    
9    Shaw, Connor CF14    

and you think Mariota is a day one starter with franchise qb potential then you've got to consider it

there's such a big advantage in having a young franchise qb on his rookie contract because that enables you to put money into other positions that teams with veteran star QBs can struggle to do

so a team with Luck, Russell Wlson has a headstart until such time as they are due the second contract, then the economics of constructing your roster changes..

but its a crapshoot..you can draft geno smith or ej manuel in the first round...russell wilson waits til pick 84 to go...

Good luck to peanut in Carolina.

Tal

this guy is very good

 Dane Brugler @dpbrugler  ·  15h 15 hours ago

The least surprising move on draft day IMO? If the Browns trade up for QB Marcus Mariota. Priority No. 1 for the franchise is finding a QB

My point still stands: selling two first round picks in a winnable division, where talented offensive linemen, running backs and edge rushers would all add big value to the team at 12 and 19 is a serious risk for the second best rated QB in a relatively weak draft pool.

Tennessee would be favourite to come out as winners there, IMO.

i don't necessarily disagree

if Mariota is a franchise QB in the NFL that you can play for a decade, good move though

there are 32 teams, there are (tops) 15 franchise quarterbacks

this is why teams will do this sort of thing, each year.

then again, when Wnston's attorney says this

"he's ready to be an NFL player on the field. But he's not ready to be an NFL player off the field"

perhaps Mariota might end up going 1.

what a quote that is for the most investigated (by teams) nfl draft prospect ever

As a big follower of the Afc north it wouldn't suprise me if the Browns traded down after deciding not to chase a qb this draft.

JasonPhilCole (NFL/Beacher report) today listed the Redskins, Jets, Bears, Rams, Cleveland,& Philadelphia are all in the bidding for Mariota w/ TEN and their number 2 draft pick.

Is that Jonny Football dude no good then if the Browns want another QB?  Thought he was supposed to be a big prospect?

just coming out of rehab for alcohol problems

loved the party life, didn't like studying a playbook. with hindsight, a lot of NFL people will say they knew, so didn't draft him. that may be backfitting a justification in the light of subsequent events though, as evaluators often do in any sport

career not over, obviously, but no longer seen as a franchise starter

Rumour has it the Bengals might trade down with your cowboys tighty if Melvin Gordon is still on the board at 21.

gurley and gordon are the two first round QBs

Chargers at 17 might be the home for gurley

arizona at 24 and ravens at 26 might be the home for gordon

so logically if the cowboys want him they have to get above 24

however 6-7 of the top rbs in the draft have visted and its a very good rb draft

i would prefer not to trade up and lose picks and go with whichever of ajayi/yeldon/coleman/davis/johnson etc takes their fancy in round 2 or 3

lots of running backs will make a lot of yards behind our offensive line, not too many of our D linemen can sack the qb or many of our cornerbacks defend the top wide receivers. i hope we go defense in round 1  

Ms Wozniacki has been seen out "socialising" with JJ Watt on a least a couple of occasions recently.

(https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/watt.jpg?w=720&h=480&crop=1)

Time to bet on The Texans to finish bottom of the AFC South?

Jordan Spieth: I Can't Count How Much Money I've Taken From Romo In Golf http://bit.ly/1GOM6bm 

Tremendous.

Jim Rome is nearly as annoying as Skip Bayless.

Leave Skip alone!

He does a great job of winding Stephen A up, on First Take :)

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25152515/nfl-mock-draft-50-eagles-trade-twice-to-land-marcus-mariota

Tim Tebow will reportedly sign for the Philadelphia Eagles today.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDBVfpaUgAAcvpx.jpg)

Does this line up the trade with the Bucs for Bradford, then?

i doubt it

expect we will only have a clear idea of what he is thinking after the first round of the draft in 10 days.....and whether he wants mariota

He has two (three?) first round QBs already.

Sanchez isn't a franchise QB

Tebow? 31 other teams don't think he should be on a roster

Bradford..jury out due to injuries

just don't think we have a clue what the final outcome will be from the possible QB options they have

http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2015/04/want_a_sam_bradford_jersey_good_luck_because_the_e.html

2015 Schedule (downloadable)

http://www.footballperspective.com/the-2015-nfl-schedule/

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDMwq71UMAAPiq1.png)

Colts happiest with that schedule.

Bills in four consecutive weeks are @NE, @KC, v HOU and @PHI. Be happy with 2 wins out of those!

Greg Hardy gets a 10 game ban. As Bleacher Report reported, it seems the NFL finally gets it.

Meanwhile, Bucs rumoured to be discussing a trade for Adrian Peterson. Would he be worth a first overall pick?

No.

Next question.

Ok, next question: odds 106 players and their staff head to Haringey in 2020?

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/tottenham-in-talks-with-the-nfl-to-host-an-american-franchise-in-new-400m-stadium-10197801.html

(http://www.standard.co.uk/img/rO0ABXQAbGZ7aHR0cDovL3d3dy5zdGFuZGFyZC5jby51ay9pbmNvbWluZy9hcnRpY2xlMTAwNTMwMTIuZWNlL2FsdGVybmF0ZXMvdzYyMC9uZXdzcHVyc3N0YWRpdW0xNzkyYS5qcGd9Zjc3NzhmMzIwdA==.jpg)

is the draft next thursday going to be on sky again?

first round is on ssnhq

the whole draft is on www.nfl.com all three nights every pick streamed

or nfl network or espn via other sites

i dont know what i am more excited about staying up all night and watching

1) nfl draft week today
2) election results fortnight today

i think i have stayed up and watched every general,scottish and euro election since i left the army in 1991,

this is an interesting one for thursday

Mariota Draft Team odds:

TEN 2-1
SD 9-4 (was 15-1)
PHI 9-4 (was 8-1)
TB 11-2
NYJ 8-1
CLE 10-1
STL 18-1
CHI 20-1
WAS 25-1
http://bit.ly/1yTdsug


winston goes 1

mariota goes to tenn at 2?...

still chatter than san diego will trade rivers to tenn for the number 2 pick?

still chatter that the eagles will flip bradford to the browns for one of their first round picks, and trade two firsts plus two players to tenn for the number two pick and draft mariot?..

if none of these happen he could go to the jets, redskins, bears, rams.....

Patriots visited the White House and got - I believe the term in America is - zinged:

"I usually tell a bunch of jokes at these events, but with the Patriots in town, I was worried that 11 out of 12 of them would fall flat"

(https://lintvwwlp.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/obama-patriots.jpg?w=650)

Any team looking for a new QB this season could do worse than signing Lebron James

http://digg.com/video/just-lebron-james-making-a-full-court-shot

the latest speculation on nfl.com

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDrLcq2WgAAdR30.jpg)

Good afternoon,do any of you guys know if Mike Mayock has a Twitter account? With the draft fast approaching I like to follow closely but don't appear to have come across him, an official one.

Browns offer two first round picks for the number two pick.

remember Browns, Vontae Mack, no matter what

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDxlHORWgAEjgyn.jpg)

the titans are desperately trying to trade out and establish a base price. browns are denying they have offered this

Really hoping Gordon is still on the board at 21 so the bengals can trade down.Would love another 3rd or 4th round pick.

Draft day first round coupon (just for fun and bragz):

1. Who will the number one pick be?
2. Who will the number two pick be?
3. Who will the number three pick be?
4. Which team will draft at number two?
5. How many quarterbacks will go in the first round?
6. How many running backs?
7. How many wide receivers?
8. Will there be more offensive players chosen than defensive players?
9. How many teams will trade up?
10. At which pick does Mariota go?
11. Do the Patriots trade at 32?
12. Which position is drafted at 32?
13. Does Philadelphia get involved in a trade?
14. Will the person drafted eighth be in the green room?
15. How many times will Cleveland pick?

Draft day first round coupon (just for fun and bragz):

1. Who will the number one pick be?

Winston

2. Who will the number two pick be?

Mariota

3. Who will the number three pick be?

Dante Fowler

4. Which team will draft at number two?

great question. up in the air. tennessee/cleveland or philly? I will say Philadelphia

5. How many quarterbacks will go in the first round?

2

6. How many running backs?

2

7. How many wide receivers?

6

8. Will there be more offensive players chosen than defensive players?

16 each

9. How many teams will trade up?

4-5

10. At which pick does Mariota go?

2

11. Do the Patriots trade at 32?

no

12. Which position is drafted at 32?

cornerback

13. Does Philadelphia get involved in a trade?

yes

14. Will the person drafted eighth be in the green room?

yes. Atlanta? pass rusher maybe vic beasley,  or todd gurley

15. How many times will Cleveland pick?

twice, 12 and 19 danny shelton and a wide receiver, maybe breshad perriman

1. Who will the number one pick be? Winston - QB
2. Who will the number two pick be? Mariota - QB
3. Who will the number three pick be? Fowler - OLB
4. Which team will draft at number two? San Diego Chargers
5. How many quarterbacks will go in the first round? Three
6. How many running backs? Two
7. How many wide receivers? Five
8. Will there be more offensive players chosen than defensive players? No. More defensive players
9. How many teams will trade up? San Diego and New Orleans
10. At which pick does Mariota go? Two
11. Do the Patriots trade at 32? No
12. Which position is drafted at 32? O Guard
13. Does Philadelphia get involved in a trade? Tries but fails. Sam Bradford jerseys go on sale
14. Will the person drafted eighth be in the green room? Yes - Bud Dupree
15. How many times will Cleveland pick? Twice at 12 and 19 - despite their best endeavours, they make the right call.

the final mocks from the big boys mayock and kiper and last years mock accurate predictor bob mcginn who follows the packers

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CD2dDg4WIAA2CQQ.png)

Interesting day to announce Martellus Bennett is available, Chicago...

teaches me not have turned on my tv in over a week i see ss3 is NFL draft all evening think i might have missed a few of the programs on earlier

its completely unwatchable, well the uk segments anyway

jim white of transfer deadline day fame has been sent to chicago

his questions range from (to a team executive) "so you are hoping to get a few extra players this weekend?" (the team has 8 draft picks)

to

"who do you think is going to win the superbowl?" to a potential draft pick

i know it has to appeal to those with only rudimentary knowledge of the draft and the nfl but jim white? send over one of the NFL presenting boys.....

www.nfl.com/live for me later for the NFL network streamed

Can anyone watch on NFL.com, Rich?

I did laugh reading it, but I'd sooner not watch too much of the above, myself.

yes free to view. every pick for 3 days

1am tonight

midnight tomorrow

4pm saturday


tonight is going to be dramatic. lots of trades, lots of snap judgements, maybe some trades of big name veterans too

Excellent, I better put Dominos back on speed-dial for the rest of the week...

There are bunch of programmes called "caught in the draft" about draft years from yesteryear, which I am recording. On ss3 tonight, could be worth a watch for us NFL geeks.

Agreed about the coverage though, much rather take the NFL feed on the draft itself.

Should be getting an interview with Chip Kelly leaning out of a range rover.

Bears now join the #2 pick party!

I assume it's either Cutler (whom the Titans surely won't pay for) or Bennett plus at least one first round pick, obv on top of this one?

If they do that...in Chicago...there could be quite a reception!

yeah its the draft programs on ss3 i was refering too

saw one program that followed 4 players through the scouting camps

i am now routing for ali marpet after watching this from a div III projected to be drafted by seatle in 3rd round

going to watch the rest of the programs on demand so i can skip the recaps american tv love

Was going to ask why they didn't send Reynolds out to the states... Then I imagined him doing what he's going to do in the studio, and guess Sky can't afford to let White loose on the touchscreen :D

What time does the 2nd round start?

Where is the best place to watch it online, doesn't look like sky sports have it.

midnight

www.nfl.com/live

Does that require a subscription or is it free?

that is free

the better coverage (nfl network's best team) requires gamepass, which is a monthly sub

or find espn which is a bit shock-jockier


nfl network or espn are the two networks covering it but nfl's site has it too

Day three underway. Jets take Bryce Petty. Could he be the starting QB at the start of the season? Geno and Fitz to beat.

Bryce says: "I'm going to work to be the best...starter, backup, that's up to coaches."

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CEA8fdQWMAEI0X4.jpg)

Best value pick so far?

"More probable than not that Tom Brady was at least generally aware." #DeflateGate http://dlvr.it/9hrDRq 

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CEVvKX2W8AEOfKF.jpg)

Same old Patriots always cheating

U@AdamSchefter: Filed to ESPN: Tom Brady suspended four games, Pats lose 1st round pick in 2016 and a 4th in 2017, and team fined $1 million, per source:

Oh.

They have a bye in week four, so it'll be Jimmy for these games:

Wk
1    Sep 10   PIT @ NE   Gillette Stadium   8:30 PM   
 
2    Sep 20   NE @ BUF   Ralph Wilson Stadium   1:00 PM      
 
3    Sep 27   JAX @ NE   Gillette Stadium   1:00 PM       
 
5    Oct 11   NE @ DAL   AT&T Stadium   4:25 PM

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4781363/blistering-penalty-handed-down-to-tom-brady-patriots

Seems like they were totally unhelpful towards the investigation and had plenty to hide failing to disclose text messages and emails from Brady.  Fair play to the league for dropping the hammer on them given their previous.  Would have been very easy to brush it under the carpet when a huge superstar was involved.

top right is best, players below line carry their team; above line benefit from system/talent around them.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CFYYZM0UkAAaRDP.png)

NFL owners approve BIG changes to PAT attempts: http://at.nfl.com/QAjQsHL 

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CFZtREbUsAE0Vs1.jpg:large)

I wonder how much this changes the maths of certain situations. I guess not that much as NFL kickers are very proficient these day and moving it back won't change the success rate that much.

Bills, Redskins or Texans: who would you rather see in this year's Hard Knocks?

(http://www.realclearsports.com/images/wysiwyg_images/combineperformers/mariowilliams.jpg)


(http://prod.static.redskins.clubs.nfl.com/assets/images/imported/WAS/photos/clubimages/2013/06-June/tempAM2409806--nfl_mezz_1280_1024.JPG)


(http://a.abcnews.com/images/Sports/espnapi_mag_jjwatt02_streiber_sw_576x324_wmain.jpg)

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2471021-thirty-two-new-extra-point-strategies-for-32-teams

Brilliant.

"The Ravens line up at the 15 on the road against the Raiders. Five false starts later, Justin Tucker kicks a 57-yard extra point to give the Ravens a 13-12 win"

(http://38.media.tumblr.com/404c0b6d1c6f2e0de314bb0a0d8a6805/tumblr_nasmgwvpbZ1qhkbk8o2_400.gif)

Best one was this:

"Marshawn Lynch, Russell Wilson and Jimmy Graham pound out over a dozen regular-season two-point conversions with plunges, options and back-of-the-end-zone jump balls. Then, in the Super Bowl? A weird pass into heavy traffic to David Gilreath that is easily intercepted, followed by two months of passionate justification."

 ‏@JJWatt

Throwback to when this happened in the 1st half of the Bills game...

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CFfQQeSUgAALsy-.jpg)


In case you don't remember or you've never seen Watt play, he had that bruise in the first half and played on. In that game, Watt had nine - NINE - hits on EJ Manuel. He also, in the second half, did this:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDL3wGfCDDo

That's unreal. How was he even walking?!!

Looks like a birth mark to me.  Who gets a bruise like that?  Starting to understand why he has such insane vertical leap looking at his legs.  They don't even look real!

I'm also amazed at the difference between his calves and his thighs.

(http://assets.bellmedia.ca.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2014/03/johnny-bravo1395312667.jpg)

Without wanting to sound like a homo i have never seen a pro athlete with thighs like that and such skinny calves.  Really does explain what he did on national tv on the late night show last year though in a suit.  His explosive power and power/weight ratio must be off the charts.

The Houston Texans will be on Hard Knocks this year

always a good watch.

wonder who will be a focus of attention?

http://deadspin.com/adrian-peterson-goes-on-a-twitter-rant-about-his-contra-1707529237

Jerry? Are you there, Jerry?

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11011680_10153157577751773_6317828552812044945_n.jpg?oh=cdcd2908dbe6b35ce3c2fb377037875a&oe=55FCABF0&__gda__=1443100559_c5669ac8a5645f3ac9c212c62b0635de)

no rush, like...

Had to watch a video of bengals ota's earlier to get my fix.

Seems to be be taking an age for the Nfl  season to come around.Anybody backing anything early doors?My early prediction is Jimmy Graham will be a bust in Seattle after seeing the afc north last season keep him on the line of scrimmage.

Reports from OTAs have been very positive about him, from what I've read, although pinch of salt and all that.

I am looking for a big price on the Giants this year. Seems to me they've made smart signings and I just wonder whether they could be a neat underdog.

As a Bills fan, I'm eager to see what we can do this season. That whole AFC East has got nasty all of a sudden. It's going to be like the AFC North five years ago and a complete sea change from last season. The AFC has improved as a whole and I reckon a 9-7 team will get a wildcard spot this year.

Bengals to stave off some of the injury crises this year and take the North by at least one game.

Afc East looks a cracking division Tal bet your excited being a Bills fan at the progress their making.10-6 for both teams would be a fantastic return.

Think Mike Zimmer will work some magic with the Vikings but haven't had the courage yet to put my money on.

had a good long look at the giants, because i too liked the draft and free agency this offseason

worried about that OL though. if Eli has ants in his pants his accuracy is a problem. thought flowers was overdrafted.

clearly OBJ is going to be a superstar though, and if they can protect eli well then better times are clearly ahead

lol

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CG6k724UIAApXvE.png)

So Mathis has left the Eagles. Who wants a pro bowl guard? First things first, who has any money?

http://overthecap.com/salary-cap-space/

Detroit, Washington, Atlanta and Jacksonville would love some protection for their quarterback. Add to that list Minnesota, Tennessee and Tampa Bay, who really need their QBs to step up this year.

Buffalo have spoken to him in the past, but I would expect he'll want a fee near $6m and the Bills don't really have that to give.

Is he the best free agent left? And where is he going?

i was going to suggest the NY Giants for Mathis. stay within the division, close-ish to philly. NYG offensive line still needs talent still


saw this today Drew Rosenhaus says 'at least a half a dozen' teams are interested in Evan Mathis http://at.nfl.com/b6i6w8L

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2494188-is-it-possible-to-win-a-super-bowl-without-a-star-quarterback

No peeking: who was the last super bowl winning quarterback before Joe Flacco never to make a pro bowl? (Answer in the article)

haven't looked

trent dilfer/baltimore

maybe its one more recently than that but wouldn't be

brady
manning
roethlisberger
eli manning..? maybe him
wilson
kurt warner
rodgers
brees


so dilfer. or eli

Even further back!

congratulations to jay cutler and crew

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CHvYnrpUsAA91M7.jpg)

Joe Buscaglia –  ‏@JoeBuscaglia

EJ Manuel has been the best quarterback today, and it hasn't even been close. #Bills

8:37 am - 18 Jun 2015

Was going to say Rex Grossman until I read the question properly. Dilfer definitely made a Pro Bowl. And NFL knowledge pre-2000 is poor.

If I had to make an educated guess, I'd go with the Superbowl winning QB from 1982, because the shorter season with the players strike means there must be more chance for a team with a poor QB to heater and get into the playoffs, or for a team with a top QB to play poorly and still get in, right?

Not a clue who won that year, or who their Quarterback would've been, though.

Good to see you back here Andy, don't be a stranger.

Havent looked, but maybe Mark Rypien for the Redskins?

Seem to remember them winning one with him at QB.

Here's one for a bit of fun:

After meeting with Roger Goodell, Tom Brady's ban for Deflategate will be...what?

1 game?

One game to keep the Steelers happy..

1 game that they can use any week before their bye (JAX at home week 3)

It's really frustrating how frequently the headline sanction gets reduced on appeal in sport. Does this mean the original investigation was flawed? In criminal proceedings, sentences can be reduced, but the sifting processes and the depth of the judgments at first instance mean very few see any change.

Yet, Brady seems almost inevitably to be getting a few games back, while Kraft and the Pats office can maintain the high ground by saying they'll accept whatever is given.

Unsurprisingly, I'd quite like him to miss the game against the Bills :)

think the Pats have the cowboys week 4

such will be the ratings for that one that i would be stunned if the suspension was in force by week 4

not at all cynical!

the greg hardy appeal is 3 weeks in the decision and counting too

OK. Next question. How much would you pay Russell Wilson? Let's focus on the guarantee figure for ease with total in brackets.

Here's the market for comparison:

Rodgers $54m (110)
Bradford $50m (78)
Ryan $42m (104)
Stafford $41m (53)
Newton $41m (103)
Romo $40m (108)
Brees $40m (100)
Rivers $38m (92)
Cutler $38m (126)
Eli Manning $35m (97)
Brady $35m (57)

(taken from http://overthecap.com/position/quarterback/)

What strikes me about that list is they are all passing QBs. There's relatively little mobility there, with the possible exception of Cam Newton (though I can't help feeling some of his movement is through necessity). Russell Wilson is a different kind of man. He is a dual threat QB but benefits hugely from the beast behind him, the imposing home crowd and the shut-out defense. How good would he be if he had, say, the San Francisco Defense (top 10, but not much more) and, say, Jeremy Hill as his running back?

Where does Wilson fit in that list, when the league pays quarterbacks on their value in the pocket?

Above Romo and below Ryan for me so $41 million.
The only thing I can base that on is who I would take for my team.
Not sure I would want anyone below Romo in that list if I had a free pick (taking age into account), and don't think he has the talent of Ryan or Rodgers but I would take him at Dallas in a heartbeat.

Romo is chronically underrated. been let down by defense and until recently offensive line for years. had his best ever season last year when playing with the aftermath of a broken back precisely because his offensive line was so good they could lean on the run game

Wilson below Rodgers for me, above the rest (ignoring the bradford contract as not representative of the current player) including Ryan

stafford and cutler look terrible contracts but the risk/reward on second contracts for franchise quarterbacks is huge

;D

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gebr80h57wA

Marky reveals the source of my "inspiration".

Rumbled!

Ha!

I haven't watched it for a couple days, so just been catching up now.

Skip's face when SAS is going nuts is great, and had me in stitches.

They agreed over Dez Bryant staying. Most uncharacteristic for them to agree. I imagine their wages were docked accordingly.

High School punt returner, Jake Gassman, take a bow:

http://www.lostlettermen.com/article/watc-division-ii-nwmsu-commit-jake-gassman-goes-beast-mode-for-punt-return

A fun one on Sportsnation yesterday:

Rank these six AFC quarterbacks in the Confidence Index (who's your man come the end of the season?)

Peyton Manning
Ben Roethlisberger
Joe Flacco
Andrew Luck
Philip Rivers
Tom Brady

I'm going

1. Luck (Best in the business and a seemingly endless army of options)
2. Brady (A few games' rest should help him be fit come the end of the season)
3. Ben Roethlisberger (Great route-runners in front of him and, given how weak his defense is suddenly looking, he's going to be firing more bombs this year)
4. Peyton Manning (Can't have him any lower, but he's 40 this year...)
5. Joe Flacco (Not got the weapons anymore, but I still feel like he's a clutch QB)
6. Phil Rivers (Flatters to deceive, not backed by his management with star quality wide receivers, so why should he be any higher?)

1. Luck
2. Brady

Could have them either way around, but I'd take the Colts' receivers and Frank Gore over what the Patriots have all day long, and that swings it towards Luck for me.

3. Flacco
4. Rivers

Changed these two around a few times before pressing the post button. Then decided I couldn't be bothered switching them again. So whatever, this'll do.

5. 2015 Peyton Manning going to NE/Buffalo/Baltimore/Cincinnati in January, in the cold/snow, in the Wildcard round after losing the division to the Chargers. Suppose Denver @ Cincinnati would be fun, the 40 year old guy who sucks in cold weather against the guy who can't win in the playoffs. Denver win 5-3 after Triple OT when Dalton does his best Dan Orlovsky impression, then Denver get smashed in Foxborough.

N/A - Roethlisberger, Steelers aren't making the playoffs this year.

Source Confirms Texans (did have) Trade Talks For Manning http://cbsloc.al/1fBjYx2

What do you make of Mariota not signing yet, Tighty?

not much really, doubt its significant

under the new CBA rookie contracts are slotted, i think only 3 of 250 remain unsigned.

mariota is one

the rookie has no bargaining power, so sign and get on with it.

+1 - It's probably just about getting a better deal with the small print. The only bargaining power he might have is that he's going to start Week 1, and it's mutually beneficial for him to be there on the first day of training camp.

Pretty much no chance of it becoming a problem though, IMO. It'll do more harm than good to miss the start of training camp for a few extra dollars of guarantees in the unlikely event of being a bust/serious injury, and getting cut.

Fancy Oakland to make a run this season

Reports in the US are Amari Cooper has been outstanding, although all the first round WRs look good. If he gels with Carr, they've got a real future together.

Seems to me Denver have one year left with Manning, before they have to go on the mother of all rebuilds. Kansas have to find a way to keep Houston and then they will challenge for that top spot.

Think it's a year too early for Oakland to win that division, personally.

Lol agreed.  Rich posted that on my account. He usually backs them for the superbowl so guess he's pressing on with them.

ffs.  I did it once about 5 years ago before I knew anything.

lol

Lot of talk about how well Shane Vereen is playing in OTAs in New York. Can really see him doing well there, given they have so many options outside.

Yep,  LOVE that signing, just what they needed on offense.

Ahhh the shrewdies posting on each other's accounts it's like 2008 again...

 ;D

JJ Watt's favourite band is playing. A guy jumps on stage to dance while the man himself is in the wings.

Mistake.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5fTCb08T0I

Jackass 3 released soon?

Thirteen teams have never won a superbowl:

Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Detroit Lions
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars
Minnesota Vikings
Philadelphia Eagles
San Diego Chargers
Tennessee Titans

Which one will remove their name from the list first (I'm including the London Jaguars if that happens as part of the Jacksonville Jaguars)?

Let's draw a line through Atlanta, Tennessee and Cleveland. No one can seriously think they're building for anything but stormy weather ahead. Jacksonville have more gaps than Las Vegas has casinos, even though they're on the up. Houston can't get past Indy and are short on offense (Hoyer or Mallett? Arian Foster fitness issues. No depth at WR).  

The obvious choice is the Eagles. Sacrilege alert: I am not convinced by Chip Kelly in the big league. He'll be given a year to try things his way and will, I suspect, be allowed to fall short this year, but then questions will be asked. He has only 13 players (or something similar) from the Andy Reid roster, so he's had everything his own way. He's replaced LeSean McCoy with DeMarco Murray in the backfield, who will offer more direct than lateral motion, but the offensive line is a step down, however good it is, from what Murray had in Dallas. They have a deep wide receiver corps but no Dez Bryant. While the Cowboys have Tony Romo, the Eagles are torn between a barely jogging Sam Bradford and a journeyman-in-waiting in Mark Sanchez. The comparison to Dallas is all the more pertinent because they are direct rivals in the NFC East. Dallas, if Dez puts pen to paper, will retain an elite offense and their upsettingly sensible draft choices suggest Jerry appreciates what it takes to win. Then there's the Giants, who I firmly believe will challenge for the division this year, thanks to one of the most impressive post-seasons in the league. They are the future of this division and the Eagles could find themselves wishing they hadn't gambled on Chip. Prediction: Won't win a superbowl before 2025.

Arizona has the quarterback in Carson Palmer, who would be far better than his stats suggest if he had some fat blokes in front of him and a running game to open up the secondary. They have, therefore, spent their main draft picks on defensive linemen. Go figure. He's now 35 and has a dodgy knee. Andre Ellington is a talented running back, but you have to worry when a player so young gets serious injuries. He has great upside as a third down receiver option, but the offense needs to be special to topple the Seahawks and the Rams. My view is, for a team that ranked 24th in points and yards per game, the Cardinals massively overachieved last season. Unless they keep everyone fit - which they won't - they will finish behind Seattle and possibly St Louis. Neither of those two teams will be short-term successes, either. Seattle are just too good and St Louis are building for the future (wherever that is). Prediction: Missing the playoffs in 2015 will continue their barren run and they won't win a superbowl this side of 2025.

The other team that has threatened of late is down the road in San Diego. Mike McCoy is one of the handful of excellent coaches in the NFL, having made good progress with a pretty rubbish defense over the last couple of seasons. Their problems have really been injuries, with Ryan Matthews and Danny Woodhead both spending more time on the physio table than the field. They were 30th in rushing last season. Matthews has gone, but Melvin Gordon is exciting and the acquisitions in the off season have beefed up their OL massively, so Woodhead and Oliver will have some space made for them straight ahead. On the outside, Keenan Allen is in the second tier of wideouts, only just behind the very best. Antonio Gates is the same at Tight End. The team is neither Arthur nor Martha, though; the defense is a few years from being championship level but the offense doesn't have long left at its peak. In a division where Denver dominate, Kansas City are tough to beat at home and Oakland are building a serious franchise, you can see why the line for the Chargers this year in Vegas is 8.5. Prediction: The Chargers will threaten but fail for years to come. It could be a generation of disappointment.  

My team, Buffalo, has done something it hasn't done for a long time: do sensible stuff. A new head coach (the last one has now moved on to the dizzy heights of being the Jacksonville QB coach), a new offensive coordinator (who masterminded the 49ers superbowl run) and a number of excellent new faces brought into the roster. LeSean McCoy is the obvious highlight and an upgrade on the injury-prone CJ Spiller. With Fred Jackson as good a number two as any in the NFL, the rock is getting pounded in upstate New York this season. Sammy Watkins will get a little more attention from opposing cornerbacks but Percy Harvin is a proven WR2, having managed well in Seattle and the young WR corps has a real upside. There are two big concerns. Firstly, who's under centre? Every day, there's a report that a different QB has outperformed the others. EJ Manuel is most people's expected starter, but Matt Cassel has been brought in to provide cover. Tyrod Taylor is touted as the fastest QB in the league and the notion of having a scrambling QB might play out well with the good OL and the blocking Tight Ends that a Greg Roman offense demands. The second problem is the AFC East has suddenly got very competitive and toppling the Patriots is going to take some work. The DL is as good as any in the NFL, with all four of the players making the league's top 100. Prediction: It can't happen before a QB arrives, but a Manning and Brady-less AFC will open up a spot for someone and 2018 will be timescale Rex Ryan is working to, you would think.   

Minnesota Vikings do offer an interesting spot. They have a talented QB in Teddy Bridgewater, who I believe will have a breakout season in the next couple of years. They have a strengthening defense with a head coach who has massively improved them there and they have drafted two physical linebackers to boot. Their division has Green Bay and Detroit in it, but the former has maybe two more seasons at the top and the latter seems to have no desire whatsoever to win the superbowl, bringing in average players for the big offensive and defensive positional gaps. Then there's Adrian Peterson, who does his best work on gridiron, rather than off it. Long may that continue. Prediction: things may go their way in the coming years. I can see them being in a superbowl before 2020.

In Atlanta's division are the Carolina Panthers. It's the worst division around and eminently winnable. Not just that, if you can put a few wins together, there might be some home field advantage to be garnered. I mentioned about New York Giants having an exciting receiving corps, well the Panthers now have two six foot five speedsters outside in Benjamin and Funchess and one of the most mobile QBs in Cam Newton to throw to them. Greg Olsen is a top five Tight End, all of which makes you wonder why they're a run-first offense. Their real strength is on the other side of the ball with one of the most fearsome defenses in the NFL. They are in a division with Atlanta, who have an awful lot of problems, and New Orleans, who are mid-slide. The Buccaneers will not be challenging for a few years and that is only if they start doing sensible things, which might be something of an ask. This team is not the finished article, but defences win Championships and they could have something really special going with a few recruits in their OL, a deep threat and an elite running back. They believe in Cam Newton and the former number one pick has bags of potential. Prediction: This team is knocking on the door and a superbowl win before 2020 is entirely possible.

What do you reckon?

no time to reply

aaarrgghh

houston are only a quarterback away imo. thats a big only though

yeah wanted to say houston too.

Shouldn't you be indulging in hookers and blow?

BTW Buffalo is the correct answer

Watching Conan to see what Evangeline Lilly was doing with herself since Lost, and was shocked when they announced Marshawn Lynch as the next guest.

Hill,Bernard and Burkhead to run Cincy to the Super Bowl behind a solid front 5 and Hewitt at fullback.Not very likely but I can dream😀🏈

Completely missed the Bengals off that somehow! Sorry! Fancy them to win the division this year but it's quite hard to win the super bowl if you can't win a playoff game.

In other news, Rolando McClain, Antonio Gates, Sheldon Richardson all get four game bans for substance abuse or PED offenses.

I've found not sleeping helps me fit everything in.

Job description for a role at the San Diego Chargers says the successful applicant must be prepared to move to LA if necessary.

Last season was the first time for eleven years that a team didn't go from worst in their division to first.

Can it happen this year? If so, who?

Rams? Buccs?

jets

NFL and Spursl announce 10-year partnership.

 Two NFL UK games per year in new stadium from 2018.

Details at http://nfluk.com

Tottenham Hotspur ‏@SpursOfficial 2

Our new stadium, due to open in 2018, will feature a retractable grass pitch with an artificial surface underneath to be used for NFL games.

Great news. Means we get approval for the investment we want to make in the stadium (like the retractable pitches) and the train/tube routes.

Discount season tickets, please!

Jason Pierre Paul just had his right index finger amputated after a fireworks accident.

Chose to have it amputated, so he could be back on the field sooner, and hopefully within 2 months.

Crazy people!

Who's he rushing back to play for?

Still holding out in New York.

All the report mentioned, was that he had been franchised by the Giants a few months back.

(http://m.tottenhamhotspur.com/uploadedImages/Shared_Assets/Images/News_images/SEASON_15-16/July_2015/luck_instory.jpg?n=8969)

http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/thumbs-up-from-luck-090715/?utm_source=071015-weekly-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=071015-weekly-newsletter&crn=2139260

When do the preseason games start?

Mid August IIRC.

Dez Bryant, Justin Houston and Demaryius Thomas agree to deals with their teams.

Can we get on with fooooootbawwwwwl now, please?

Evolution of NFL logos. Can you name all the teams?

(http://images.complex.com/complex/image/upload/t_in_content_image/nfl%20logo%20history%20gif_nrlbwj.gif)

Reggie Wayne wants to play one more season and then retire.

Where would be best

Oakland? Jacksonville? Denver?

The best defensive player in the NFC West is...?

Earl Thomas?

NaVorro Bowman?

Aaron Donald?

Anyone else?

Richard Sherman

Robert Quinn

Patrick peterson

Calais Campbell


the answer is earl thomas by the way

Agree on Earl Thomas. Quite a division, that.

Just did my first mock draft of the season.

10 team snake draft (QB, 2RB, 2WR, 1TE, 1 WR/RB flex, DEF, K, 6 bench spots), picking first. These are in order drafted (1, 20, 21, 40, 41, etc):

Eddie Lacy RB (Green Bay)
Jimmy Graham TE (Seattle)
Andrew Luck QB (Indianapolis)
Latavius Murray RB (Oakland)
Julian Edelman WR (New England)
Kevin White WR (Chicago)
Jeremy Maclin WR (Kansas City)
Shane Vereen RB (New York Giants)
Jaelen Strong WR (Houston)
Delanie Walker TE (Tennessee)
Charles Johnson WR (Minnesota)
Colin Kaepernick QB (San Francisco)
Jaguars DEF (Jacksonville)
Panthers DEF (Carolina)
Dan Carpenter K (Buffalo)

Thoughts?

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qZQ4dtbpAI

Skip is a superb wind up merchant :D

"A player is considered to be going to the ground if he does not remain upright long enough to demonstrate that he is clearly a runner. If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball until after his initial contact with the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior [to] the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete."

Is this a good change of the football move rule?

How would you bet on Tebow making the opening day roster for the Eagles?

channel 4 have dropped their sunday night football programme, which is bad news

hopefully its picked up somewhere else

Hooray no more Carlson doing my head in late on a Sunday night!

Behave.

Carlson is superb.

Shame that was the best nfl show of the week presenter wise.  Cadle is so tilting and corporate after a while.  Carlson sailed close to the wind a couple of times last year with his comments.  Maybe that had something to do with it.  Remember one show when he said something really awkward.

Incredible

Carlson is by miles the best NFL analyst on british tv and one of the best on any sport, in my opinion

maybe 5 years ago he was good. hes become absoulutely cringe viewing, just comes over as a senile man constantly racking his brains to remember some irrelelevent fact from 65 years ago.

But he's a Bills fan!

I like his one liners. Some of the sky coverage is questionable but Carlson will be a loss

It's unfair to compare Cadle and Carlson as one is a presenter and the other an analyst.

However Cadle>Nate/Vernon/Fatbloke
And Cecil/Neil>Carlson

in my opinon

Surely Jeff > Cecil? I've definitely grown to like Neil Reynolds, too.

I think you're piping out some crazy talk, tbh.

cecil must be the worse one by a mile across all channels.

Forgot about Jeff yes would have him in there. Cecil is quality entertainment.

brady 4 game suspension upheld

now likely to go to court

as it stands he comes back week 6 v the colts

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CLBazp1WIAAPCAm.jpg)

Well that is pretty damning for Brady.

What an idiot destroying his phone.

Darren Rovell ✔@darrenrovell
Tom Brady's suspension will cost him $1.88M, or what Gisele makes every two weeks, according to @forbes.

While Russell Wilson's stock rises (and wow by the way), Sheldon Richardson has time to reflect on his career.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2535672-sheldon-richardson-allegations-shows-some-nfl-players-still-dont-get-it

ok I have been looking at the game pass

3 options £85 for all the eagles preseason and regular season games
£100 for all the preseason and regular season games
£130 for all preseason regular season and play off games

£15 extra so I can watch all the games seems like value

is there much value in getting the post season games hasn't sky got the rights to show them all anyway?

currently not the late sunday games for the play offs....one of the four wild cards, one of the divisional games, one of the championship games

these were shown on channel 4 and are currently not under UK TV contract

might be in a month's time.

might sign up for the £100 deal then I can watch all the games anyway upto the play offs and then get a pass for play offs if needed

NFL will be in Los Angeles in 2016, Giants owner John Mara says again http://dlvr.it/BkZmx2 

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CLf2uThVEAAWv95.jpg)

was discussing this yesterday with the local american football team in Chester, they were all saying get the £100 deal cos often, the NFL will offer a deal halfway through the season where you can "upgrade" for like a tenner to get the postseason stuff.

might be worth looking to see if this has happened in previous years and hope for the best.

I can't remember this ever being the case, Channel 4 hasn't shown any playoff games apart from the superbowl since taking the Sunday night games on. They just had playoff highlight shows on a Monday night.

very honest

Bills GM says his team is in 'quarterback purgatory' http://dlvr.it/BlgS2M 

Some may say very stupid.

Words like that for the GM are not exactly going to fill your QBs with confidence.

The Bills have been pretty consistent on the QB vacuum line this offseason. Rex has made it clear Manuel is the preferred starter but he has to prove himself to get the nod. Everyone involved knows we are light on quality at QB, especially the three guys themselves. 

Good news is, we have a rhino to give the rock to sixty times a game and the best cornerback combination in the NFL in 2015/16.

lol, don't be a homer!

mccoy is going to be running into 9 man defe nsive fronts and none of your 3 QBs will have a great deal of success under pressure throwing it

the defense does look very good as it did last year.

i'll take sherman/williams, harris/talib, revis/milliner/cromartie, haden/williams

denver, seattle, jets, cleveland

mckelvin/gilmore top 5 maybe, to say more is a big stretch


the essential problem is the defense will get you to 8-8 ish, maybe up to 10-6, pick middle of the draft and still no ability to get a top QB next year

John Mara is Kate Mara's grandfather. Her other grandfather owns the Steelers. WAL.

rooney mara the actress her sister https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooney_Mara

girl with the dragon tattoo etc

Our second corner is Corey Graham. Pro Bowler and a superbowl ring isn't too bad. 

The big stat that has hampered the Bills secondary is the blitz percentage. Historically, because the front four are so dominant, we don't blitz (16.2% of plays, per Football Outsiders is 30th). The teams that have the high interception rates are the ones pressuring the QB into poor throws. Rex at the Jets was 13th in blitz callers in the NFL (26%) and I expect we will be doing more of it this season.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2510993-can-stephon-gilmore-play-the-darrelle-revis-role-for-rex-ryans-buffalo-bills

Gilmore may well have a big season ahead.

so for your team...give a realistic win/loss record for this year

what would be a success? what would be failure


i will start

Cowboys 10-6

success: win division and play off run

failure: not make the play offs

Dolphins 8-8 ( tempted to say 9-7!)

Success: playoffs

Failure: losing record

the AFC East looks rough and tough this year

Bills, Dolphins, Jets potentially really good defenses

a couple of quarterbacks short of being the toughest division

Jacksonville/Dallas (but doing Jags) 1-15

Success: winning a game

Failure: not winning a game

Buffalo

Prediction: 10-6

Success: Making the playoffs, establishing themselves as the second best team in the division.

Failure: 8-8 and any other sign of regression from last year.

Raiders

Prediction: 5-11

Success: Not coming last in the division

Failure: Being worse than last year.

Sproles says he can't agree personal terms with the Texans.

They have Foster who can play 10 games max this season, with no real backup and they've lost Andre Johnson out wide.

Granted, they have Watt, Clowney and Wilfork on the other side of the ball, but they're going to get pretty tired if they're on the field 40 minutes every week.

Is this the team to oppose this season?

Bengals

Prediction 11-5
Success win the afc north
Failure 8-8
Shit or bust for Marvin Lewis think we sneak more wins than we deserve due to excellent special teams work and defense.

i couldnt see anything about sproles and the texans on the net

Pierre Thomas not sproles. They signed polk.

Sorry. I'm all over the place for some reason today. Yes. Pierre Thomas.

I hope so. I have bet lowest scoring team Texans as I feel they could really struggle to move the ball this year. 25/1 still there I wouldn't put anyone off.

I honestly think the Dolphins will win the AFC East this season.

Hi Matty,

which team do you follow? Can we tempt you into joining the NFL fantasy leagues this year? http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=54617.0

Hi Horneris

I don't really follow a team, I just love the sport. If I had to pick one team out I guess I'd choose Indianapolis. However I try to stay impartial as to not let bias effect my judgement when betting on the sport.

I've never played the fantasy however have heard/read about it of course. Are there spaces available? (I haven't got time to trawl through 160 pages 😀). How much and if I make mistakes will I be mocked? 😁

All mistakes will receive mocking. No one is ever spared in these matters. However, everyone makes them, so there's plenty of banter to go around. :)

The only time anyone may actually get grief is if they give up, because trying and not being very good keeps the game alive, whereas not trying at all hands walkovers to people who may be contending for the money.

Basically, if you love the sport, are prepared to click a few buttons a couple of times a week and will keep going, however you're doing,  this is a great, fun, thing to be part of.

I wouldn't be one for giving up :)

Oh, and if you had said no to the mocking question I wouldn't have wanted to be involved ;)

Get Involved Sir. Its Amazeballs!!!!!

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000484534/article/2015-nfl-preseason-schedule

it all kicks off this weekend with a hall of fame game

will that be on the game pass?

then next week all the teams get into the groove


i could crush a grape and jump off a dolls house

Yes it's on gamepass I believe.

I've never seen such a bad offseason for any team.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000507647/article/san-francisco-49ers-release-aldon-smith

A championship calibre team destroyed in two seasons. 

hall of fame game tonight is it current squads or is it something like our masters with ex players playing

Current squads, but you'll find the second string teams generally starting.

Last season's game was Ryan Nassib of the Giants v Jeff Tuel of the Bills.

Michael David Smith @MichaelDavSmith
In college IK Enemkpali was convicted of battery on a police officer. Jets drafted him anyway, but cut him for battery on a quarterback.


Number 2 QB in New Jersey? Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Sadly, the bookies have already taken their season points market.

:(

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-33872593


geno smith out for 6 weeks oops

FitzMagic > Geno

Ummm...

More entertaining, certainly.

I would say Jets points should go up with Fitz at the controls.

 
Yes. Quite agree...

oooooooooooo I thought you thought they would move down.

We were on overs with the titans a couple of years ago on Fred.

Jake Locker got injured week 3 and in comes Fitz to save the day, with all the nuance of Yosemite Sam...

(http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/deathbattlefanon/images/b/bc/Yosemite_Sam.gif/revision/latest?cb=20140905042334)

He will score more point for sure. But...the best cornerback partnership in the NFL will be delighted to have two games to boost their stats further.

Speaking of hilarious franchises...

...the Browns are in talks with Ray Rice.

IK Enemkpali was claimed by the Bills.

top trolling from Rex

Eric Edholm ‏@Eric_Edholm

No worries, there's no QB for Enemkpali to punch in Buffalo

Ha! Just saw the news. The tweet I saw yesterday from Fake Maddan was that Chicago had enquired about hiring his services. Sadly, this is funnier.

Can we room him with Incognito?

The Bills considered signing Michael Vick in the summer. Rex was quoted as saying they didn't go through with it because Vick struggles in cold weather. 

We are going to have a fun season.

So, Tom Brady was in court yesterday. The sketch artist is well respected in her field. This, however, happened:

(https://usatftw.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/cmoycq4woaa2mt1.jpg?w=1440&h=750)

Then the internet broke. Again.

My favourite:

Pete Blackburn– ‏@PeteBlackburn
DeflateGate is turning into a real thriller
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CMOjY20WwAAMSWq.png)

Just a reminder hard knocks starts this Sunday on sky sports1 11.30pm.

For those of us that are in the year 2015, it's also online already :)

First games of pre season are upon us tonight - gamepass at the ready!

It's old fashioned to watch TV programmes on the TV now?
Just put me in my box now  :)

Haha, I just can't wait the extra 5 days i'm afraid. I'll watch it the morning after the night it comes out and then again on Sunday on the TV :D

Jarryd Hayne made his debut for the 49ers and if you didn't know what he did for a living before signing a contract in San Francisco, after watching this clip of a run and a punt return, rugby player would be high on most people's lists.

Whether he makes the grade remains to be seen, but it's always nice to have some YouTube plays first time out.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AW7vs88KIw

What did I do?

Were you expecting him to manage an 80 yard rush TD and a 100 yard punt returned to the house?

:D

Any news of Lawrence Okoye?

trent richardson in pre-season

shame the hole to run through isn't obvious really

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CMnO3u0UkAUYaDj.jpg)

3rd on the depth chart at RDE

a long shot to make the roster, on what is a much weaker roster this year than previously

http://www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/depthchart/SF

What happens to guys who don't make the rosters?  Is their a lower division NFL for them to play in or are they done for the year?  Or are they paid to be non-roster reserves for the inevitable injuries? 

53 man rosters and a 12 man practice squad for younger players with ineligibility

rosters in training camps are at a maximum of 90 so 35 per team or over 700 players will be cut in the next three weeks

a minority will go to the CFL or the Arena football league, some may be picked up by other teams through the year as injuries hit but most will go into other professions/leave the game

 

Blimey - so you get one shot?  It's unlikely you try out the following year?  Sounds way more brutal than for football rookies in this country.

you can often get a shot at a training camp next year but remember 350+ rookies come into the pro game every year from college

250 of these 350 are drafted with guaranteed money and are highly unlikely to be released if drafted in the first five rounds so thats 150+ slots that need to be vacant from last years rosters. of course players retire, but there is a big turnover at the bottom of rosters

10 year careers are rare, below star level.

anyone with gamepass able to explain how to watched the condensed games

was hoping to watch a few pre season games condensed but can work out how

worked out what i was doing wrong i have to start the game then the option appears

loving the game pass years of games i can watch and in condensed mode i can bypass the clock running down and the ad breaks

took the 7 day free game pass last weekend then took the £100 option today
already been offered a £10 discount to upgrade to the full package

sky has secured SNF and MNF

now has the lot, 5 live games a week

I think I might be asking the landlord to upgrade the Sky Box to a recording one.

Boo.

No more Mike Carlson on UK tv.

well ch 4 dropped it. i will miss mike and nat.

so sky is better than nothing imo

sky has announced its first games

(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11898825_10156014479030026_8820020400540267027_n.jpg?oh=49e94db3ee3b07b3a122f48f788f2216&oe=567CF451)

2 Monday night games that 03.15 game is a new one is it going to e regular can see be bypassing Tuesday if it is

Just week 1

yes they always do a far west coast game in week 1 to make a double header for kick off weekend so chargers, raiders, 49ers etc

you can add orlando scandrick to this

players lost to the current season with ACL injuries

some nasty ones like benjamin, jordy, clady and now o-scan

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CNNT7b9VAAAX2qB.jpg)

the pre-season record is 27 in 2013

Journalist sits on fence. Or not.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/08/26/mike-tomlin-shrugs-off-backlash-to-michael-vicks-dog-killing-past/

Just catching up on Hard Knocks.

Brian Cushing is great TV on his own. Third best defender, second most intense and first class loon.

There's a quality vid of him mic'd up against the Browns, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhJ113NGaBs

And also a complete playground bully.

Has some good moments but ultimately a douche.

Cushing is a terrific player. Love watching him play. Having JJW and now Wlfork in front obviously helps but there aren't many better run defending MLBs in the league

Never denied he's a great player. One of my favourites in the league to watch as you say. Getting to know his personality though has made me realise I don't actually like him. Intimidating rookies with random shoulder barges, calling out Alfred Blue to try and make an example of him when you have been owned by him twice already, even after Arian is out and Blue is now your number 1 RB. Didn't like any of it.

Houston now looking at Foster returning at the end of September, not the 8 weeks originally forecast, so might be worth looking around your fantasy leagues to see if people haven't been smart enough to pick him up and stash him.

How have the 49ers looked in preseason?

I noticed they were 14/1 for worst record this season and was slightly tempted. TBH I was looking for a market for them to have the first pcik in next year's draft as they have loads of picks and need to rebuild, but I couldn't find said market.

just joined a dynasty league yesterday and today i got offered a trade for him, in exchange williams of pitsburgh and a WR for philly that so far down the list he might not make the final 53
guess i am not that much of a mug when i rejected the trade lol

Ive not seen that much of the 9ers actually, but I'm fully expecting them to be god awful this year. They will definitely be there or there abouts for worst record I think. I reckon the jags are in for a better year this year, am expecting decent things from Robinson and having Thomas in at TE is always a bonus, so someone is going to have to take their place at the bottom!

They still have Hyde and Kaepernick, and a pretty decent O-Line, so I wouldn't be surprised if they win a few games just down to time of possession, not turning the ball over, and not giving the opposition many opportunities to score points. Schedule looks brutal, but still GL being worse than the Browns with McCown starting.

BOLD PREDICTION: Browns go 0-16, Connor Shaw (barring injury) starts Week 17, and neither Manziel or McCown make the Browns' 53 man roster for 2016.

i seen the 2 presason games and thought manziel was showing some great progress

Not seen any of Manziel since the 30-0 loss to the Bengals here. I don't get how they can start a journeyman backup in McCown over him though. Starting McCown is just going to end in McCown getting benched for Manziel after a few mediocre-at-best games with the fans getting on his back every time he fails to make a play on 3rd down, or throws a pick, by which time the Browns will probably be 0-5 or something and the season is already over. Not sure what they achieve by starting McCown, other than getting a decent WR in the draft to replace Josh Gordon with a top 5 pick next year.

Nothing wrong with having McCown on a roster, everything wrong with him starting over Manziel for me. Neither of them are NFL starters IMO, but at least Manziel isn't the epitome of a factory of sadness.

well manziel wasnt perfect by any stretch of the imagination but he looked reasonable and he is still learning really
his decision making seemed to be much better IMHO

God I forgot about the Browns. Manziel HAS to start, but he has nothing to throw at with Josh Gordon acting like the village idiot all the time.

watch out for rookie danny shelton at nose tackle for the browns

a complete monster

https://vine.co/v/epYlXDdbVVu

obviously its going to be a tough year for the browns, but the defense looks competitive and the running game/OL very solid. next year they need to draft offensive skill players

Currently taking a look at Garoppolo for the first time this year, one of the most interesting stories of the preseason for me. Came in for the first drive of the 3rd quarter, first play had the RB in the flat for a couple of yards, but tried to force it to the WR and should've been a pick six if the corner didn't drop it. Then nearly threw another pick to the other corner, didn't see if it was on the WR running the wrong route or a mistake from Garoppolo.

Then missed a throw on 4th & 4 (Would've been 53yd FG) to Aaron Dobson, instead threw to Krause on a shallow cross and didn't get the first down.

6/9 for 47 yards at the moment doesn't tell the story at all, so far.

EDIT: Much better since the first drive though.

Halling
What's the score?
Halling Halling
What's the score?



Our three QBs combine for 30/33 for nearly 400 yards and 3 touchdowns.

This is preseason for you!

QB 4 wasnt too bad either

Some pre season highlights here http://www.skysports.com/nfl/news/12118/9972277/seahawks-win-while-redskins-and-ravens-descends-into-a-fight including a mass brawl  ;cheerleader;

i havent had a chance to watch dallas yet this preseason are they playing well enough to deserve to be slight favourites in the division over the eagles


i thought the eagles offence looked the real deal last night with bradford at QB

its pre-season it doesn't matter

all about establishing the bottom of the roster

bradford threw 10 throws last night

dallas/philadelphia is going to be a very tight battle

if philly can play at the pace that kelly wants in the regular season and hold up in the secondary then i might have them slight favourites

if dallas can replicate last season's run game behind their fantastic OL then they have a shot at another deep run

As I posted a while ago ITT, I have a sneaking suspicion the eagles underperform this season. Dallas may actually be a bet...

instresting views guys

i am kinda looking forward to the ealges v cowboys games i believe they are both in first half of season this year

really hope that the RB combination works well and with some decent options for the throw and the pace they were moving last night could be unstopable

defensively still not where we need to be if we want to be making the superbowl though

bill releasing fred jackson is a shocker

not expecting that

would be a good pick up for a cleveland.

Redskins name QB Kirk Cousins Week 1 starter

on the hook for RG3 for $16m per through next year, so not easy to trade

Yeah just discussing where he could go, whole host of teams that could do with a player like him.

I'll go for Atlanta.

$2.7m on a handcuff is an awful lot of money, I suppose.

Very disappointed as a Bills fan, especially after his performance at the weekend. As you say, he's a great pick up for someone

Isnt this because of concussion risks?

I would expect RGIII to be back in Week 2 myself...



Wouldn't mind him in Oakland and get rid of the deadwood, ie T-Rich.

(https://nflbills.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/tyrod-taylor.jpg?w=1304&h=872)

Bills starting quarterback, Tyrod Taylor.

It's all happening!

gruden has confimred its cousins for the season in washington

got to think the new GM will be appointing a new coach and drafting a new QB come the next off-season

their defensive front seven looks fierce, nice OL. just need some nore skill players to complete the rebuild

Well we did the important bit, got rid of the deadwood...

"Ex-Bills RB Fred Jackson is flying to Seattle this morning to meet with Seahawks. Both sides expect a deal gets done."

nice for Fred....

Awesome. Delighted for him. Lynch was his backup, wasn't he?

BREAKING: Tom Brady beats NFL in 'Deflategate' court case, judge nullifies league's 4-game suspension.

"factory of sadness" - excellent wordiness, Mr Evil.

Can't take credit for that one, sadly :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRBDMMVctu8

Is Goodell's position now untenable?

Ha, that's excellent, well done Andy.

That guy, shouting at a building, is the USA equivalent of a Newcastle United fan, never happy, but ends with "I'll see you Sunday", lol. 

An interesting observation of fan psychology.

Are there any lolzzBrown's* fans on blonde? Might just have to have some sport with them.

* lolzzBrowns, patent pending, copyright ArgueBoy.

The guy who did this is a comedian and particularly likes to poke fun at his home town of Cleveland.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysmLA5TqbIY

4 into 3 QB slots just wasnt going to fit for the eagles so have traded barkley to arizona after he was outplayed by tebow in the preseason

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/09/04/eagles-ship-matt-barkley-to-arizona-for-conditional-draft-pick/


my question is barkley was going to get cut why would arizona give away a draft pick to pick him up
when they could of gotten him off the waiver wire if they waited a day or 2?

because the waiver wire goes in draft order

worst teams from last year have priority (and this lasts all this season)

so if they think he gets claimed by a team higher than them in the order, they have to leapfrog them and trade

this is why there will be quite a few minor trades today

do all players getting dropped get put on the waiver or do some become free agents ?

if picked up off the waiver do they get the same contract as they were on before being released?

Every dropped player goes through waivers.  If picked up their existing contract terms have to be honoured by the new team, although they'll often subsequently try to agree a new deal.

If they clear waivers they then become free agents.  The original franchise is still obligated to pay any guaranteed monies to them but the player can also sign a deal with a new team and they will still have to pay the league minimum salaries (soma player can be paid twice in these circumstances).

i think the q was asked about making it in the NFL

this is shown to freshmen at college

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/COTPWaRWoAAH5nT.jpg)

The irony of a college education being promoted by a college that writes "if your lucky enough..."

I'll take my chances with the pigskin, coach

The BBC & NFL agree a two-year rights deal to include live coverage of all 3 International Series games at Wembley

mike back hopefully

 includes Superbowl & weekly highlights too

http://bit.ly/1IXYH7i

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEJMThae-OE

SAS is so com when he loses the plot :D

I have decided, in my 3rd or 4th season of following NFL (blame Fred) to support two teams - Arizona Cardinals & San Diego Chargers.

Who & what should I look  out for, & do we have any chance of winning anything?

Cardinals have a puncher's chance of winning their division, which has Seattle, St Louis and San Francisco in it. You are on the quarterback, Carson Palmer, to make the most passing yards at 80/1. If he stays fit, you and Arizona, will be in the hunt.

San Diego may just have one last shot at a playoff run, but I suspect they're turning the corner the wrong way now. Rumours of a move to LA probably aren't helping. A talented rookie running back and a returning third down back adds to the offense.

No Buffalo?

Don't pick the Chargers to follow FFS.

Rivahs is without doubt the most annoying QB in the league. NFLs version of Bubba Watson.

I have no choice Keith - romantic connotations, see? Same with the Cardinals. If there were a Vegas or LA Franchise,  I'd add them too.

No Buffalo, we've never been to Buffalo. Has to be some solid logic to these matters.

I hope Arizona have a chance at winning their division this year. I bought the season total wins at 8 with spreadex yesterday.

http://www.pinnaclesports.com/en/betting-articles/football/impact-of-the-weather-on-nfl-betting

Hopefully the dream starts today,taken some more 50/1 on the Bengals.Good luck everyone with this seasons betting Who Dey!

Wanted an ice cream bet to cheer so have smashed into the Chiefs for Super Bowl glory.  Go the red helmet guys!

Rex Ryan for Tottenham!

Ram seahawks is a great game. Rams v close to being a v good team

They're always up for this fixture. Fake punt and fake punt return last year was legendary. Question is whether they do anything daft against weaker sides.

Failed onside kick to start overtime. I love the nfl!

Didn't Pete Carroll used to be the best coach in the NFL? His last two games have not really followed that in big decisions. Just do simple stuff and win...?

Why call a Shotgun play on 4th and inches?

Incredible.

Buccs hoping for the number one pick again.

marcus and jamies remind me again who was the number 1 pick

Bears same as last couple of seasons, offense and defence fall apart in the big plays. Were also horrific in the Red zone!

Only 3 weeks until the first London game of the season. Who's going?

I thought Cutlah played very well, especially as Alshon Jeffrey was clearly carrying an injury.

He'll get the blame for the last INT obviously, but sometimes a defensive player just makes a fantastic play, as Clay Matthews did there.

The end of the Giants @ Cowboys game. How on earth is a game theory coach on the sidelines presumably not a thing?

congrats but wtf the falcons?

Great live updates:

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/live/2015/sep/15/jarryd-hayne-san-francisco-49ers-debut-against-minnesota-vikings

its live on sky sports

hayne hasnt had much game time his first touch was a fumble

You didn't read those updates then?

Ok I thought I read 2 while watching the game but it was 5 am so missed it might have to go back and read from beginning

I'm attempting to mug-punt my way through an second season.
Last year, having not watched NFL in around 20 years, I had one or two accumulators a week, basing my selections on very basic form and a bit of advice from friends more clued up than me.
Almost doubled my £40 starting stake by the end of the season.

Started this season in profit too.
Week 1 I had two bets on Sunday, one on the early games:
Colts to beat Bills (lost)
Dolphins to beat Redskins (won)
Panthers to beat Jaguars (won)
Seahawks to beat Rams (lost, just)
Packers to beat bears (won)

and the later games:
Bengals to beat Raiders (won)
Broncos to beat Ravens (won)
Cardinals to beat Saints (won)

£5 on each, lost the first obviously, but got £19.60 back on the second so +£9.60 for week 1.

For week 2, the games I've picked out from the early sunday fixtures are:
Panthers to beat Texans
Cardinals to beat Bears
Rams to beat redskins
Saints to beat Buccaneers
Titans to beat Browns
Chargers to beat Bengals.

Panthers, Cardinals and  Rams are all firm favourites, and although Browns are favourite to win, Titans are only marginally longer than evens. Saints are big favourites, but they lost five home games on the bounce last season, killing four bets, so I am a little twitchy about putting them in. Still, they must surely beat the Buccaneers. The only one SkyBet see significantly differently to me is that they have Bengals as firm favourites to beat Chargers. My reasoning for going for Chargers was just that they beat much more solid opposition than Bengals in the opener, but that's all. The first five pay a little under 9/1 so I have a £5 on that, and adding in Chargers makes it 24/1 so just £2 on that. Each bet obviously pays around £50. Goooooooooooo Chargers!!

No point getting on the late games this sunday because Dolphins and Ravens will be nailed on favourites to beat Jaguars and Raiders respectively, and I try to avoid betting against Cowboys as my close friend who runs the facebook group that helps me pick my bets is a big Cowboys fan. I don't like to reward his assistance by betting against his team, and I include them to win where ever possible. :)

Adam you don't look at the point spread coupons?

for example, and just an example, you could take the Buccs with a ten point start at the Saints at around evens this weekend

the point being that it brings bad teams into the realms of being backable

10 point or more dogs are often great value

I know what you're saying, but no, not really. I enjoy being glued to Redzone and having 3-6 team to cheer for. Backing mostly (but not always) favourites in accumulators means that a lot of time the majority of my teams are out in front with one or two I'm waiting for to push on. I only had 4 winning weeks in the 17 week regular season. I did switch to including a few spreads in the playoffs because there's less teams to folllow, and I had a winner picking all four Div Champ winners. I think I backed Cowboys +7 against Packers, which won.

For regular season, I think I'm sticking to backing winners straight up for now.

That said, throw any solid tips in as the season goes, and I'll look at including them in the bets :)

I have never understood, why they don't have some solid maths guy there for stuff like that. Apparantly Rashad Jennings was told not to score on 1st and 2nd down!

The Sunday funday acca. To win the game, unless handicap stated:

Arizona
Atlanta +2.5
Pittsburgh -5.5
Detroit
Cincinnati
St Louis

Pays 34/1, albeit only if it wins

chip kelly: offensive genius.

byron maxwell. £63m piece of toast

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CPYhAARWIAALWLM.jpg)

demarco murray. running behind a sieve

i'll settle for that, the politest smack i can muster in the circumstances


a win for my boys in a terrible game but at a huge cost. dez bryant injured was bad enough but romo out for 8 weeks is a real season changer

got to try to be in with a shot for at least a wild card when the pair of them come back.

redskins for the division anyone?

i was looking for the odds on that after the romo injury

what a terrible game to watch

congrats on your win

unlucky on the injury

Jockeys come back from a broken collar bone in about 3 weeks.

How come Romo is slated to take 2 months?

i think it depends where the break is, and whether surgery is required

aikman took 5 weeks, last time romo had it it was 10

more tests tomorrow

Aaron Rodgers reminds me of Federer.

Just makes it look incredibly easy.

THE RAIDERS WON A GAME!!!!! :D



With the Eagles starting so badly, and Romo going down, wouldn't be at all surprised to see 8-8 win the division. Eagles O-line looks horrific, and obviously losing Romo is huge. Not seen a single snap of the Redskins this season, so can't really comment on them, but before the preseason I would've expected all 3 QBs on their roster to start a game this year. I don't know if Cousins has done anything that might make me change that opinion. Could be last year's NFC South all over again, with a team with a losing record going to the playoffs. Especially if Philly's O-line doesn't improve very soon, and/or Romo is out for longer than expected. Didn't Rodgers have a broken collarbone a couple of seasons back, then every week they said he might be back, only for him to not come back for ages and Green Bay limped into the playoffs with Flynn, Tolzien, and someone else getting starts at QB? Rodgers came back for Week 17 then had a pass to Randall Cobb to win vs the Bears, if I remember correctly.



So Pittsburgh going for 2 after their first 2 touchdowns tonight made me think about this some more.

I assume a lot of people in here are familiar with being a certain number of points down determining whether you go for 1 or 2. Down by 1, score a TD, you now lead by 5, so obviously go for 2 late in the game to make it a 7 point lead, and so on. Down by 11, score TD, go for 2 so you can tie it with a field goal. Plenty of these are pretty slam dunk decisions.

Down by 14, every NFL coach in history takes the extra point to close the gap to 7 points, right? Because I think they've been doing it wrong for the last god knows how long, and if not, then the change to the PAT means they're DEFINITELY doing it wrong now, IMO.

Heard the commentators during the Seahawks v Packers game say that the league average for 2pt conversions was 48%. The old extra points were successful 99% of the time or so, the new 33 yard extra point I believe is expected to be somewhere around 95%.

Down 14, let's say there's 30 seconds for an onside kick and to throw the ball into the end zone 4 times - Go for 2 after TD, now down by 8 52% of the time when we fail and and down by 6 48%. Down by 6, after another touchdown, obviously we kick the extra point. Down by 8, we obviously try to tie it up, both absolute no brainer decisions. The key here though is that we can almost guarantee a win with a successful 2 point conversion, and still get to OT half the time when we fail.

---- SKIP THIS BIT IF YOU DON'T LIKE MATHS ----

For ease of calculation, I'll disregard unusual stuff like defensive scores on PATs, kick blocks recovered by offence and botched snaps that end up resulting in a successful 2 point conversion, and 1 point safeties, as the difference they make would be negligible anyway.

Down 8 (52%) - Go for 2, down 2 52%, tie 48%
Down 6 (48%) - Kick extra point, win by 1 95%, tie 5%.

Therefore, by going for 2 when down by 14, the times where we score 2 touchdowns without the opposition scoring results in the following:

Win the game 0.48 x 0.95 = 0.456 = 45.6%
Overtime (0.48 x 0.05) + (0.52 x 0.48) = 0.024 + 0.2496% = 0.2736  = 27.36%
Lose 0.52 x 0.52 = 0.2704 = 27.04%

Whereas going for 1 twice gives the following:

Win 0%
OT 0.95 x 0.95 = 90.25% we make both extra points, plus 0.05 x 0.48 = 2.4% that we miss the first extra point, then are successful on the 2nd PAT when going for 2 = 0.9265, or 92.65%
Lose 0.95 x 0.05 where we make the first PAT and miss the 2nd PAT, plus 0.05 x 0.52 where we miss the first PAT then fail the 2pt conversion = 0.0735, or 7.35%

(FWIW, Going for 1, then going for 2 after 2nd TD makes absolutely no sense, you'll only win 48% of the time and never go to OT that way. You'd need to expect to LOSE in OT something ridiculous like 92% for it to be the correct option. Never happening.)

For going for 1 to be better than going for 2 when down by 14, we need to have a pretty high chance to win in OT when we get to OT, as going for 1 will result in OT far more often.

Here, "n" represents the probability that we win in OT

P(Win game after going for 2 after first touchdown when down by 14) = 0.456 + 0.2736n
P(Win game after going for 1 after both touchdowns when down by 14) = 0 + 0.9265n

For going for 1 to be better, 0.456 + 0.2736n < 0.9265n

0.456 + 0.2736n = 0.9265n
0.456 = 0.6529n (subtract 0.2736n from both sides of the equation)
0.6984 = n (Divide both sides of the equation by 0.6529)

0.6984 < n for 1 point to be better

---- END OF MATHS BIT ----

Therefore, we need to win in OT more than 69.84% of the time for going for 1 to be the correct move. How many teams in the NFL will go to OT and realistically expect to win just shy of 70% of the time? And in reality, the number will probably marginally higher than that, because a successful 2 point conversion down by 14 opens up the possibility to kick 2 x unanswered field goals in some situations where there is more time remaining on the clock (Touchdown with 10 mins left, get the ball back, 4th and long in FG range with 4 mins left and all 3 time outs to get the ball back and get in FG range a 2nd time for instance), which I haven't accounted for here.

Not going to show the Maths again, same as above with different numbers in there, but with the old PAT where we succeed 99% of the time, we "only" needed to win in OT 66.97% of the time to make going for 1 when down by 14 correct, which is still very optimistic, IMO.

Basically, NFL coaches have been getting this one wrong since forever, probably because it's one of those situations where no coach will do it because results orientated people will bitch about it and get the coach fired when they could've taken it to OT and it costs them the game. However, scoring a TD when down by 14, is an absolutely obvious spot to go for 2 IMO.

great post

Green Bay had a fourth down at the one inch line with 5 seconds to go in the first half last night.

They have the best OL in the league andone of the best QBs in the history of the sport.

Yet they never even considered going for the TD. They must have been heavy odds on to get the one inch, yet took the 3. Braindead decision IMO

Eddie lacy was out injured

100% go for it with him in the backfield

without a big back and with starks back there against mebane/bennett/avril etc, its a closer decision imo